The Duty of a Hunter
by AsianNameless
Summary: After being sent to Hell for the sins of the Fox, Naruto has been suffering ever since. After a year, Naruto is dragged out by an angel, and is thrust back into the mortal realm of man. Can Naruto stop the apocalypse? Epic Length! SmartStrongNaruto!
1. Chapter 1 The End

**AsianNameless signing in.**

**This is it, my 1st story! Well, this is a Naruto/Supernatural Crossover. I'm glad to say that the Supernatural elements don't overpower the Naruverse, and that it also doesn't center around my OCs. By the way, this is rated M for language, and that is the first and only time I'll ever say it.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the Naruto Universe. Kishimoto does. If I did, then I'd make Naruto Anger-Fuck Sakura until she'd stop being a bitch. However, what I do own is my original material. That includes Jutsu, OCs, and the storyline.**

**The Duty of a Hunter**

**Chapter One**

* * *

A burning, white light had infiltrated past his eyelids, almost blinding the poor boy as he had woken from the dark depths of unconsciousness. He could neither feel, nor see where he was, but the last thing that he could remember was his dark-haired friend finishing him off. Yes, it was sad knowing that the Sasuke used his only assassination technique on Naruto, the closest person he had to a brother. But what made it worse was not the fact that Sasuke used his jutsu to protect himself from Naruto's tailed demon onslaught, but he used it with malicious intent. He'd used it to fulfill it's purpose.

To kill.

And it worked, right? So why did Naruto still feel alive? How could it be that he could still breathe? Smell? He smelled roses and lavender, scents that he'd sniff every time he'd wake up from chakra-induced comatose. Scents that he'd smell every time he was close to Death's welcoming doors. Upon opening his deep pools of blue, the blonde ninja was surprised at what he'd found. Looking around slowly, Naruto found a large, white room. The room had a bed-of which he'd been sleeping on, a grand table, a high ceiling, and windows that reached from the roof to the floor. Light penetrated through the great windows, illuminating the whole room in a radiant display of spectral wonder. The weird thing was that everything was white. He stood up, realizing that he could not feel any pain from the fight that seemed to have reached it's climax moments ago. Hell, he couldn't even feel the floor beneath his feet. He touched his hair. No sensation. He then touched his cheeks and found that he couldn't feel it's softness or it's warmth. While telling himself that this was just a dream, he'd begun walking towards the white-curtained windows, hoping to find out where he was.

What he found, unfortunately, was not what he expected. He found absolutely nothing but an endless sea of light. He felt small, powerless even. His blonde, little head began to ache at the sublimity of his predicament, at the never-ending source of white, and at his friend's betrayal. When he found he could take the light no longer, he turned around and walked towards the table. He then sat down on a large oaken chair that bore intricate designs that looked like they originated from some unknown race. He leaned into the great, white dining table, propping his head into his crossed arms, brooding about what had just transpired. This was different than his other dreams, so why was he dreaming this now? What was the purpose of this place? Then suddenly, flashes of his pink-haired friend raced through his mind.

Oh, yes, he saddened. He made a promise to Sakura-chan, that he brought her _precious_ Sasuke back. He hope she knew what her request caused, but he saddened even further, knowing quite well that his failure wouldn't have affected her. To her, Sasuke was what mattered, not him. Well, it didn't matter now because the damn traitor to stabbed him in the fucking chest! And now look where he was, in some sort of dumb dream or probably inside his head with the damn fox.

He then closed his eyes into a frown, growing very tired of bottling up his emotions, "She'd rather have that bastard over me!" he cursed aloud, "She'd sacrifice my life to get what she wants! I can't believe this!"  
To be honest, he'd always known about her many, many faults. Despite all the pinkette's misgivings, he'd always overcome them.

He'd loved her, damnit!

But by looking back on past events, he remembered seeing his comrades leaving him during the mission one by one. Having to painfully see them off to risk meeting their demise in order for him, possibly the most untalented ninja in history, to complete the mission. To save Sasuke from a band of Super-Chunin. It was an extremely dangerous mission that, on routine, called for a Jounin. But instead, the Hokage called forth a platoon of inexperienced Genin who each were randomly chosen by a lazy, pony-tailed Chunin. Naruto knew the laws weren't perfect, and that the situation was difficult, but Granny should've tried harder to send them help!

It was too bad, though, he sighed quite bitterly as he had begun to stand up and lean on the table, what's done is done. The mission was a failure.

He'd offered Sasuke several chances to rejoin Konoha, and to repent for siding with the traitorous snake Sannin. Unfortunately, his offer had proved unfruitful, for the damn Uchiha had both the gall and the nerve to reject the very people that he had formed bonds with. The very first bonds he'd formed since the night of the Uchiha massacre.

Throughout the entire fight, Naruto knew he was fighting a losing battle. Not because he was weak, though. No, he was far from weak, for he had the power of the infernal Fox at his side. Throughout the entire fight, Naruto held back in killing Sasuke, making sure that his promise to Sakura would remain unbroken. But again, his efforts were unfruitful. Now refreshed, after now knowing the means to this end, the blonde ninja now had the clarity to further analyze his current situation. He blinked when he noticed that he wore not his torn jumpsuit, but pure, white pyjamas. Not unlike the ones from Konoha's hospital. In his dream scapes with the fox, he'd still wear his regular attire, but now was apparently not the case. It was as if the battle, or the mission, had never happened.

Suddenly the memory of the traitorous Uchiha piercing his lungs had rooted itself in his head, reminding him of the pain he felt when it'd happened. The shock caused his legs to buckle, forcing him to rely on the sturdy table for support. He instinctively inched his right hand towards his right shoulder, the place where Sasuke pierced his Chidori through, readying himself for the pain. But what he experienced was not pain or the wound, but the smoothness of unblemished skin. Weird. Even if this was a dream, the wound should've still been there.

Unbuttoning his white pyjama top, he lifted his shirt to reveal no seal on his stomach. He felt his face, and noticed not his whiskers, but smooth skin. He knew not whether to feel happy or sad for the disappearance of the fox. But, one thought came to his immediate attention.

He was dead.

* * *

*****Near the Valley of the End*****

Running and jumping, Kakashi and his summon, Pakkun, a pug with a Leaf headband, bounded for the Jounin's two students. They were also accompanied by a small group of Anbu black ops, an organization that worked directly under the Hokage, which currently was Lady Tsunade. They all ignored the heavily falling rain that had suddenly engulfed the land, each applying a tad bit more chakra to their feet in order to gain some much needed traction. Slipping in a mission like this, after all, was a mistake best saved during D-class missions.

It was then that the elite ninja spotted a mixed group of Genin. Kakashi himself was glad to see that they were all alive, though barely. Chouji, a genin of team ten, seemed to be badly bruised and unconscious. Neji had a large wound, and, judging by the exit wounds, he was pierced by something large and very powerful. Kiba and Akamaru seemed to be sleeping, but both looked battered enough to pass as dead. Kakashi sighed in relief when he spotted Shikamaru, Temari, Kankuro, Lee, and Gaara come from their hiding places, poising their weapons in desperation.

"Relax", Kakashi raised his gloved hands up, signalling that it was safe, "can you report, Shikamaru-kun?"

No answer. The Nara child seemed to be shaken and perturbed about something. They all had. Even Lee, who was now shaking under the heavy rain.

"That's okay," The cat-masked female Anbu's soothing voice spoke understandingly, "you all had a hard time. That, we can understand. But I expect you all to report to Tsunade soon." She then nodded to the scarecrow.

Wordlessly, the former Anbu captain hand-signalled for most of the Anbu to escort the tired Genin to the hospital, and, if they were healthy enough, to the Hokage tower. Once the Anbu left, only Kakashi, Pakkun, and the cat-masked female Anbu were left to continue the search of Kakashi's students.

As they leapt from tree to tree, Kakashi couldn't help but look at the woman's graceful steps. She was Yugao, no doubt. A women with equal measures of beauty and deadliness. A women he had the pleasure of working with before on separate occasions. Realizing that his students were more important than petty attraction and nostalgia, the scarecrow focused on the task at hand - saving his kids.

It was minutes later that they'd finally arrived at the Valley of the End. The two Jounin were very surprised to see the amount of carnage and destruction inflicted upon the land as they did now. At the very least, high-chunin techniques were used here. More surprisingly, they could both still feel the Kyuubi's demonic chakra eating away at the land's life force, the flora had already begun to rot due to the demonic power. But to Kakashi's horror, there laid his orange-clad student in the middle of the broken battlefield. From afar, both ninja could tell that the blonde was gravely wounded. And thus, they wasted no time in taking him to higher ground, lest they had wanted him to drown. The valley would flood soon, they could tell. The heavy rainfall allowed for the waterfall's flow to intensify, causing the flood plains to fill.

Now safe from the rain, under the forest's thick canopy, Kakashi placed his favourite student's head atop his lap, praying to Kami that his sensei's son would not die. No, not this day. Not before him. Tears began to fall from Kakashi's lone eye, though Yugao couldn't tell if the droplets were his own or the rain's. Opening the broken boy's soaked jacket, Kakashi saw a tremendous puncture wound placed on Naruto's shoulder. The silver-haired Jounin's scowl deepened when he saw burn marks surrounding the open flesh, signalling that it was exposed to lightning, to a Chidori. Kakashi, despite his anger, sobbed at this.

"Kakashi," Yugao's lovely voice sorrowfully spoke after she checked for the boy's heartbeat, "I'm sorry. Naruto-kun is dead."

It was then that Pakkun, who had remained quiet until now, began to whimper, accompanying Kakashi's soft, bitter cries. Yugao, who hadn't previously met the blonde, placed reassuring hands on both her comrades. Her heart wrenched at seeing the two stone-hearted ninjas' fragile hearts breaking.

Kakashi was, in all his life, never one to cry. When his father, the great White Fang, committed suicide, he didn't bat an eye, for he knew that it was for the sake of his father's honour that he died. He came close to crying once, when his teammate, Obito, had sacrificed his life to save the entire team. No, instead of crying, the scarecrow had buried himself in missions, instead. Another time in which the last Hatake nearly cried was when the last of his friends, Minato and Kushina, passed away. The entire village had mourned for the death of the Fourth that day the way Kakashi has every day.

But now, it was different. The death of Naruto, his sensei's son, had truly hit Kakashi hard. It seemed that years of pent up emotion had coursed throughout his entire body, manifesting into trembling and tears. His prized student had fought and killed his, by far, most beloved student, who was last tie he had to his late teacher. An orange ribbon connecting him to both his shame and his happiness.

Yugao, still trying to comfort both ninja, waited for further orders, though she knew she'd get them after Kakashi's had his moment. She herself felt like crying, after hearing Kakashi's short, laboured breaths.

"Yugao," he said softly, after about an eternity, his eye still on his apprentice, "please take Naruto-kun to Tsunade."

Though she was hesitant to leave his side, she complied. "And Yugao," he hesitated, now not caring about compromising her identity, "please be careful. He means a lot to me."

Nodding her head, she smiled sadly beneath he mask, "I know."

She then disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

"Pakkun," Kakashi finally straightened himself.

"Y-yes?" the ninja pug sniffed.

"Get it together, please. We are ninja of Konoha," he tried monotonously, gripping his gloved fists in anger.

"But you're not handling yourself well, either," the dog tried to joke.

"Pakkun-"

"Alright, alright," the ninja dog then growled animalistically, "We have an Uchiha to find! Lets show him that just because I'm a tracking summon, doesn't necessarily mean that I don't pose as a threat!"

Leaping in one bound, Pakkun had almost grew ten times in both size and ferocity. He now stood a whopping twelve feet on all fours. Not wasting anymore time, he galloped towards the scent of the traitorous Uchiha. Now that his summon was big enough, Kakashi shunshined atop Pakkun's back and rode him like a horse. They had a mouse to catch.

Sasuke shivered under the cliff overhang that he and Kabuto stayed under. Though he was suspicious of the Sound med-nin, the brunette had been smirking for the past hour. He'd finally proved his superiority over Naruto and Konoha! No one can stop him now, or so he thought. His smirk grew at the thought of learning under the best, and eventually, being the best. That would mean that he'd finally have the power to finally killing his older brother.

"Sasuke-kun," whispered the purple-clad, gray-haired med-nin, "I sense a Jounin coming. I believe you know him."

"Sharingan no Kakashi," the boy spat, "the fool doesn't deserve the bloodline OR the right to face me. Kabuto, you fight him. I want to see your strength."

The Sound nin could only scoff at the Uchiha's insolence. The boy was a coward. The overhang was stationed only ten feet above the valley's flood plain. He had to make this quick. If not, then they would all drown in the muddy flood plains, and then he'd fail his Dark Lord. And he couldn't have that.

"Kakashi-san," Kabuto stepped out from the protection of the overhang and jumped below to Kakashi's level, "I see your summon is of more use than I previously thought. I've underestimated it. No matter, for you wouldn't get the chance to-"

"Earth release: Diamond-like Hardening, you little shit!" Pakkun growled, his claws growing longer, defined, and like the technique stated, became as hard as diamonds. The monstrous dog then galloped towards the medical ninja, his claws ripping through the valley floor as he did. Behind Pakkun, Kakashi stood still, rooting himself into the ground. He smirked, almost, fully aware that his comrade would try to exact his revenge on the poor med-nin, and succeed. Pakkun closed the distance, and then swiped his claws, only to hit the ground. Apparently the Sound ninja was smart. And fast. Kabuto knew not to fight with a person more than twice his height, and with more than ten times the lethality he possessed, but he'd do anything it took to win. Kabuto extended his scalpel and barely knicked the great ninja dog. He leaped back out of range just as Pakkun came close to cleaving his head off.

"Arghh!" the pug grunted, irritated at the other ninja's hit and run tactics.

Pakkun closed the distance yet another time, this time he landed a slash on the med-nin's shoulder. But, he also felt an impact to his side, which meant that he'd actually hit a replacement jutsu and he'd been hit by the real Kabuto. He noticed that the impact was Kabuto piercing his chakra scalpel into his hind leg. "Nice try, but I also have hardened my fur. It'll take much more than that little technique to defeat me!"

Though Pakkun was encased in diamond-hardened armour, his mobility was still the same. This was bad news for his enemy. Now standing on his hind legs, the towering pug then brought his paws up and moved each individual claw to cast two jutsus, "Earth release: Mud river flow, Earth release: Mausoleum earth dumpling!"

The first jutsu had caused the surrounding mud, made by the rain, to come down the center of the valley, covering the ground with slippery earth. This impeded Kabuto's movements, who wasn't very proficient in walking on top of mud to begin with, especially under the stress of battle. The next jutsu was the kicker. A house-sized earthen sphere formed from the stone of the rocky overhang, forcing Sasuke to evacuate the premises. Not caring for anyone's safety, the dog sent the large boulder towards Kabuto. Naturally, the Jounin escaped his doom by using a replacement jutsu with a nearby rock. Thanks to that, Pakkun noticed that the valley was littered with many large rocks. He smirked.

Pakkun used this to his advantage and chose the follow-up jutsu wisely, "Earth release: Stone lodging destruction!"

Instantly, all the rocks, big and small, rose high into the air. And with a flick of his razor-sharp claws, all the rocks began to shoot towards the poor medical ninja, giving chase to his sorry ass.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had been sneaking away, hoping that no one would see him. He was pretty far from the battle. He no longer stepped on the muddy terrain made by the cursed dog, but had now began traversing over the flood waters. He noticed that the valley that they were in was connected to the Valley of the End's waterfall. That, combined with heavy rainfall, had meant that flooding was imminent. He knewIn fact, it had already begun. The water was already reaching his ankles. Utilising his water-walking skills, he began to run further from the fight, hoping that Kabuto would live long enough to lead him to Orochimaru.

His hopes were crushed however as Kakashi had been following him the entire time. It was foolish to escape a veteran tracker like him, "You wouldn't think of running away, would you, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke smirk back at his former teacher, "You wouldn't hurt me, your student, right Kakashi?"

This had only made Kakashi's blank stare darken, making him think of how he should go about the situation. His mission was to help Naruto re-capture Sasuke. However, his target killed his student. Did this give him the right to kill the little traitor?

"You know, Sasuke, I could end you for killing Naruto, right here, right now. Knowing him, he gave you a chance to redeem yourself, a chance at a normal life."

"A normal life isn't enough for me, Hatake. I'm meant to soar over the cage Konoha confined us Uchiha with. We were meant to be legends. I am the last Uchiha, last of the elite. And there is nothing you can do to stop me!"

Though he had on a blank expression, Kakashi had inwardly glared at his former student. Growing tired of Sasuke's bravado, Kakashi sought to incapacitate his student with only two words, "Chidori Nagashi!"

Elsewhere, the ninja dog had been having an entertaining time. His previous jutsu had been giving chase to his prey for nearly ten minutes now. He could very well tell that the med-nin was growing tired thanks to the constant use of chakra in terms of dodging the hail of stones. Pakkun had to admit, though, that he was awesome. He had the medic cornered ever since the start of the battle. Any possible offence made by the Sound-nin proved to be useless due to Pakkun's nearly impenetrable, diamond-hard fur. And also, any chance in overpowering the dog was useless. Pakkun had a balance in power, from his razor sharp claws, to his long-ranged earth jutsu, to his nearly impenetrable armour. He had absolutely no holes in his strategy.

Finally, having finished amusing himself, the ninja dog rushed the medic, working side-by-side with his long-range jutsu. Kabuto had even more trouble, having to avoid the breaking speeds of the earth jutsu and the elongated claws of his adversary. Eventually, Pakkun landed a few strikes to the back of Kabuto's knees, forcing him buckle under his own weight. Now crippled, a final strike by Pakkun's claws allowed for the medic ninja's head to get cleaved cleanly from his own shoulders, thus ending the life of Orochimaru's most loyal subject. The dog breathed a sigh of blood-spattered satisfaction. It was over. No doubt that Kakashi had succeeded in apprehending the traitor, too. His thirst for revenge for Naruto's death, he smiled, was now satiated. He'd already finished mourning for Naruto, that damn knuckle-head, and he'd finished being angry, as well. Now, it was time to move on.

"Partner," Kakashi interrupted the dog's musings, "you can turn back to normal now. No one needs to know you can actually fight. At least, not yet. Besides, I can carry this little traitor myself," he motioned to the limp form of the Uchiha on his shoulder.

"Okay, but why do they don't need to know of my skills? We both know that I'm capable of handling Jounin-level ninjas," the pug queried, already poofing back into normal.

Kakashi, after all that had transpired, had actually allowed a ghost of a smile to touch his masked face, "I like to keep secrets, remember? You should know that by now…"

And with that, they began their silent trek home.

"Hey, Kakashi, you think that we should cremate Naruto's body or just bury it?"

The masked ninja frowned, for the walk home was sure to get awkward soon.

"We'll try to bury him," he answered, "I'll ask Tsunade if we could bury him beside his parents."

* * *

*****Hokage's Office*****

"No," a blonde woman began hugging the cold, lifeless corpse of Uzumaki Naruto. Her tears covered his abnormally pale cheeks as hers met his in a tight embrace. She hugged him and hugged him as if futilely trying to bring him back from Death's cold grasp. She knew that was impossible.

"This shouldn't have happened, he was supposed to live! Please, not again. Oh god, not again…" she muttered softly as sleep had began to claim her, fatigue from her previous display of emotion had begun to take its toll. "This is all my fault..."

Shizune had watched it all with Tonton, Tsunade's pig, clutched in her shaking arms. The clothed pig had not made a single noise the entire time, hoping that this horrible nightmare would end as well. The two medics had watched as Yugao burst into the office with Naruto in hand, screaming for help. Immediately, the fifth Hokage had began to work futilely on Naruto's already dead form.

Eventually, Shizune had to pull her master from the boy before her feelings would get the better of her, which would mean for very horrible things to come. The apprentice wouldn't dare to imagine the cruel things the pig-tailed blonde would do to herself, and others, mourning over her loss. But then again, the Hokage wouldn't resort to ending her own life. Right? No, she was the Hokage. She was too strong for that. After all, she had a village to lead, and had a responsibility to the very same village that she'd grown to love again. Carefully, Shizune softened Tsunade's monstrous grip on the boy's cold body, then quickly replaced him with Tonton. The small pig needed not to be ushered, for he'd already known that his owner needed the comfort. And then with Yugao's help, Shizune carried Naruto to the village morgue, ignoring the happy cheers of the villagers for Naruto's death.

Very soon, Shizune knew, the news would spread. People would talk about the death of the village demon. The entire village would probably rejoice and celebrate, not knowing the truth. But still, the medic ignored their seemingly infinite ignorance, for this was the time to think of Naruto and remember all the times he'd touched them without asking for anything in return. It was a time for mourning, not hatred. In fact, there should never be a time for hatred, for hatred causes many horrible things. And it was because of hatred that this accident had happened at all. And Naruto wouldn't allow her, nor anyone to think that otherwise.

After his arrival, the citizens of Konoha were enraged to see an unconscious and battered Uchiha on Kakashi's back. They didn't know who to blame, Kakashi or Naruto, even if the aforementioned was already dead. They'd either blame Kakashi, for being an inadequate teacher, or Naruto, for merely existing. But anyways, Kakashi headed for the hospital, with his faithful summon, Pakkun, by his side. They both strode with dignity, not caring if it had infuriated the villagers. They had a job to do, and not even the ones they had the responsibility of protecting could stop them.

After several weeks, the Uchiha prince had already woken up after the burial of Uzumaki Naruto. His funeral was very short, and all who were close to him, even Sakura, the one who'd used him, had been invited. The funeral had been taken several miles from the walls of Konoha, since the Council had refused to bury the boy beside his birth parents, despite Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade's wishes. The Council normally didn't have power over such affairs. But after having the majority of the village petition against Naruto resting with the all the other heroes, their decision was unanimous, leaving behind a very furious trio of powerful ninja. But after a while, all three accepted it, for they've found a more meaningful place to bury their favourite knuckle-head. They buried him at the very place where Naruto was first dubbed "unpredictable", the very same place where he had begun his ninja career. The very same place where Naruto had rescued his teacher, Iruka. The forest of fallen leaves. This forest clearing, they mused, was the place where his shinobi career started and ended.

The forest had been a burial for many of Konoha's not very well-known heroes, such as most of the Namikaze clan, and the various shinobi who've immigrated there from the fallen Whirlpool Country. This was the perfect place for Naruto's final resting place, for it represented his beliefs. Though Naruto wasn't appreciated for his many deeds, he was okay with it. He chose to work behind the scenes. The blonde didn't fight to be famous or powerful, but to protect those that he loved. Instead of being immortalized by being buried at Konoha's ninja cemetery and having his name showcased at the Hero's monument, his friends buried him deep within their hearts.

It was during his quiet burial that Tsunade chose to break the Third's law and unveiled Konoha's deepest secret: Naruto's lineage. Only a select, trusted few were told. The Council had no knowledge of what had transpired on that sad, shameful day. Tsunade would later contemplate if the village deserved to know the truth as well.

* * *

About a week after he had awoken, Sasuke had been drafted into Anbu, under the supervision of Konoha's war hawk, Danzou. But not before learning the truth. Just before being drafted, Tsunade chose to reveal to him and the village the truth. The truth about Kyuubi, and Naruto's true lineage. It wasn't that they deserved to know the truth, but it would be an insult to Naruto if she did otherwise. To say that the village was "shocked" would be a true understatement. But the most surprising detail in Tsunade's tribute was her emphasis on Naruto not being the Kyuubi itself, but the JAILOR. He was not a weapon, but the shield that put it's life before the village, hoping to protect them from the demon lord's wrath. And he did, with every inch of his life, from whence he breathed his first breathes to the day he was betrayed and killed.

That day, many villagers mourned not only for their loss, but for the error of their ways. Of course, the only one who didn't was Sasuke. As always, he had bottled away his emotions, preferring to isolate himself than sharing his feelings with others. The day he awoke, a train of emotions had rolled him over. He didn't know what to think, do, and feel, especially after learning Tsunade had surgically removed his cursed seal during his coma. This was all okay though, since being a ROOT agent under Danzou didn't require the use of emotions. The curse seal would only serve to keep him unstable, and Danzou had no room for reckless shinobi.

The rookie Nine had been hit the hardest. After recovering from the Uchiha rescue mission, they all bore a deep respect for the blonde Uzumaki-Namikaze. Hinata was naught but distraught. Naruto's first admirer hadn't even the chance to confess him her feelings. Ino and Sakura were both equally sad. The two, during their childhood, refused to give the boy the benefit of the doubt and didn't give him the chance to open up to them. They all were to blame, and yet, they all didn't know the affect they had on Naruto's life. They would never know how grateful Naruto was for simply acknowledging him and giving him a reason to fight.

Truly, everyone, even Naruto's previous doubters, had felt true regret for the death of their saviour, and for never appreciating him for what he truly was - a ray of hope, a beacon of light illuminating an otherwise dark world riddled with vehemence and deceit.

* * *

**Jutsu List:**

**Earth Release: **Diamond-like Hardening AKA Doton: Kongounyoi  
This is an earth style technique that transmutates anything the earth-user wants to have the hardness of a diamond, like the name suggests. Depending on the thing that the earth-user transmutates, it can be razor-sharp or extremely hard. Just because a diamond is hard, doesn't mean its impenetrable. It has ALL properties of diamonds. That means that it CAN melt.

**Earth Release: **Mud River Flow AKA Doton: Doryuu Taiga  
This technique can cause the ground around the target to turn into chakra-enriched mud. This mud can cause the opponent's mobility to be sloppy, litteraly. Combined with another attack, this can cause some pretty nice fight sequences.

**Earth Release: **Earth Mausoleum Dumpling AKA Doton: Doryuu Dango  
Doryuu Dango is a Ninjutsu technique utilizing the Earth Element. After striking the ground with his hands, a person can overturn the earth into a large dumpling shape chunk of earth the size of a mausoleum. Using his immense strength, he can lift up the ball and hurl it at his opponent, flatening all in its path.

**Earth Release: **Stone Lodging Destruction AKA Doton: Iwa Yado Kuzushi  
This technique allows the ninja to control nearby stone and rock. This can be especially useful if in a cave or a stone lodging. The technique can loosen the rocks and cause them to come raining down on whomever is trapped inside. You can also control the individual stones/boulders the way magneto(from X-men) does.

**Chidori Nagashi **AKA Thousand Birds Current  
Instead of merely focusing the electrical force to his body, a person is able to extend it outside of his body and through objects which he is holding. This allows him to create a protective zone around his person. This zone of electricity can shock and immobilize his foes, presumably by attacking their nervous system. In canon, Sasuke made this. But in my story, Kakashi made it on the spot. He is a true genious, after all.

**Well, wasn't that sad? I'm sorry to say that this is the end of my story, even if the potential is great...**  
**Just Kidding! No, I'll continue this. In fact, I've already gotten to chapter 10 on good copy. Please R&R**


	2. Chapter 2 Rebirth

**Author's note: It took a while, right? Sorry about that! My laptop didn't have the files that had the rough outline for the story, so I had to re-do everything. Don't worry though, as I have re-made each and every chapter that is soon to come!**

**Disclaimer: If I were Kishimoto, I'd make Orochimaru openly admit his love for Sasuke. That sick, sick SOB.**

* * *

The beating of powerful wings had interrupted Castiel from his bi-daily meditations. The sound came from his friend who had flewn in overhead, and glided to his side. A bird returning to it's cage. Castiel had been praying to his deity for many things lately, one of those things being success for what he was about to do in the next few hours. Though no human had the power to see him nor his comrades, he had the appearance of an enforcer. His true form, that is. The form that which no mortal had seen so far besides a select few from an age long ago. He'd trimmed black curls, a strong, lean body, and had a sense of silent devotion. Many of his comrades did, as well, but not the one who'd come to see him. Among his peers, his comrades, and his brethren, he was considered one of the highest rank due to his past deeds. He was also one of the most powerful, second only to ones who were of heaven's true blessings. But despite all that, he was never one to care about rank. Though he was one of the most powerful, he was still a lowly soldier, a mere front-liner. But he had grown to like his profession. After all, he'd done it for thousands of years. He didn't remember a time where he _didn't_ abandon his post, ever since creation, that is. Well, there was this one time he'd met these two brothers, but that was a story for another time.

If you were to compare him to the other angels, he'd appear to you as the coldest. But if you were to ask his fellow soldiers, then they'd say that he was the most righteous of them all. That he was truly a warm individual. Among his fellow angels, he was as pure as the pair of folded wings which protruded in between his defined shoulder blades. But nevertheless, he had company, and he had to do whatever it took to dismiss the interruption from the mission in which he was given. He dexterously turned to the other angel, who had sported a cocky grin on his angular, dimpled face.

"Hello, Gabriel," Castiel greeted his blonde superior, whose feathery wings were still spread wide from flight. Gabriel, Castiel's superior, was considered a loose-cannon among their ranks. He may have been an archangel, but that had not meant that he was any less of an angel compared to Castiel, "How may I help you?"

"Morning, old friend." The high-voiced man scowled, flicking his hair to the side, not liking how his blonde curls would tussle about during flight. Despite his carefree outlook, he was truly worried about his friend. "Please answer my question, Cas', why did you accept the mission?"

"It is _thine_ duty to carry out _thine_ orders," the taller man answered simply, looking about as if the question was beneath him, "or have you forgotten, old friend?"

That had actually caused Gabriel to flinch. As far as he could remember, Castiel was always been the one to be calm and collected, even when carrying out orders outside their stronghold - their haven. Could Castiel, who was currently staring straight into his mirthfully blue orbs, be capable of spite and push him away? No way.

"Castiel," he started, trying to remain as level-headed as his friend, "I am your superior, you know. I haven't forgotten my duties, but you do have a choice, at your current rank, whether or not to carry out orders involving the prophecy. Such orders can be shrugged off towards a soldier of a lesser rank."

Castiel's usually stoic face had narrowed in annoyance, "Just as you had done _I_, many weeks ago?"

"It was an easy order!" the blonde reacted to his friend's reply, folding his wings into his silk-covered back, "It could've taken you less than an hour to accomplish, Cas'."

Castiel's frown deepened at his friend's antics. He then watched as Gabriel began to grin at their exchange of words, almost mockingly, and scratch his head in apology, which in fact was apparently not good enough for Castiel.

"You gave me an extermination job, Gabriel. It took more than a month just to find the target."

"That's beside the point. The fact is, you're travelling to Hell..." He watched Castiel's face soften at that. "And...you don't seem too affected by it?"

"I've done so before, and you, of all people, know it well. Now go, you're interrupting my preparations."

The winged blonde scoffed, then unfolded his wings before leaping powerfully into the air and circled above Castiel's head as he had finally glided away.

Watching his friend leave, Castiel had finally allowed a smile to reach his lips uncharacteristically, "I'll be okay down there, so stop worrying," he yelled, knowing that an angel's senses were known for it's clarity and would allow for the blonde to hear him, "besides, only an angel can kill another angel!"

* * *

*****Another plane of Existence*****

He'd had enough of this. For what felt like years now, Naruto had suffered endless torment, torture of the greatest magnitude. No longer was he in that painfully white room, but somewhere worse. Much worse. Yes, he believed he was somewhere else, a different plane of existence entirely, a place the villagers would say he belonged in. Hell.

For nearly a year, Naruto had been in this eternal place, the lone ninja had suffered things that no man like he should ever deserve to experience. Though his flesh was now gone, burned off probably, his spirit remained, as scarred as it may be. Hell consisted of different realms, different Hells. He didn't quite know how much, besides what he was told by his captors. All he knew was that each and every soul was taken to the type of hell they'd feel the most abuse, mentally and physically. He wondered how anyone could go out of their way just to deliver to another such pain. The current Hell he was in - oh, how the name escaped him - was a fiery metropolis. But only the Demons lived there. Below the horrific city, deep in an underground facility, was where they had kept all the souls, including him. The souls were confined in fiery cells of their own, where they'd just stay there and writhe for all eternally. It was here that they'd torture him for nearly a year. It was here that they had forced him to relive many of the most shameful moments of his past. And it was here that they forced him to do the most shameful act in his life. And what made it worse was that he didn't deserve to be here. It was because of the Kyuubi's malevolent presence that anchored him and made him sink down to the deepest, cruelest Hell. The Necropolis.

To the human eye, Naruto looked like an old man, despite his natural age of only fourteen years. It mattered little though, for a mere second in hell was an eternity. No longer was he that obnoxiously loud brat that had tormented the entirety of Konoha, but a poor soul whose whole existence was a sin. He was the jailor of Kyuubi, after all. The reason why he was sent to Hell, Naruto thought, was because of the Kyuubi's evil. He was glad that, after he died, the Kyuubi's soul was sent to Hell as well.

At least I brought the damned fox down with me, he mused bitterly.

But after thinking about it more, he learned to know that it was not true. In fact, it was the other way around.

He didn't belong here, he wearily fox did.

So the only logical explanation as to why he was in this predicament was that it was actually the Fox who had dragged Naruto down to Hell. Not the other way around. The damn creature. He was just glad that the seal vanished fast and painlessly, that the Kyuubi didn't try any one of the fabled tricks foxes did to get out of danger, and that he was finally able to stop the Fox's evil from corrupting the already troubled world. What ever happened to the nine-tails, whatever _is _happening to the nine-tails, it deserved.

Every day was longer than any other here, for he didn't get a minute of sleep in there. Down in Hell, there was no time for sleep, something that Naruto soon learned upon entering. But to be more precise, there was too much pain in one's body for one to sleep. It was so horrible there, so inhumane that everyone that he had seen there had not single a glimmer of faith in their eyes, a single strand of hope in their heart. Sometimes, the blonde would pray to some unknown God to give him at least a minute, or even a second, of sleep.

And that was exactly what he was given.

Slowly, his pale, blue eyes began to close. Sleep began to take over.

* * *

*****Flashback*****

Naruto's naked form quivered as he was whipped for the thousandth time. He relaxed, knowing that the red-eyed demon usually stopped around this time. After the whipping, his muscles could now be seen as his skin, which now looked like ribbons, opened up. Blood oozed out of every pore of his body, drenching the blonde with the vile, hot liquid. His hair, now drenched, looked as if he dived into a pool of crimson. His eyes, now bloodshot, looked as if he hadn't slept in days. If you were to look into his eyes, he'd have the look of a lamb right before it's slaughter. Every hour of the day, he'd underwent some type of torture. Eternal hell, indeed. He collapsed beneath the force of the whip, not even trying to fight against the assault made by the red-eyed demon, who seemed like he enjoyed the marks he'd left on the blonde man. The demon's eyes widened in demonic fury as the Naruto began to cower towards the corner of the blazing cell, each step burning into his feet, only to regenerate and burn in a beautifully cruel cycle. The demon stepped forward, seeing this as an invitation to play even more. His steps shook the room heavily, as his black, ghastly mass came closer to Naruto, who was merely a shell of what he once was. The demon reared his ugly, black arm and struck the blonde once again with his obsidian-tipped whip. Oh, how he enjoyed this.

"E-enough. Please," the blonde croaked after spitting teeth out of his mouth, not caring because he knew that they would heal again. He always, and it killed him inside. Just when will this all stop?

**"What? Is that all? Just because you beg for me to stop, I'll stop?"** the demon grinned his usual blood-thirsty grin. His red eyes stood out over his pitch-black skin. In their true forms, all demons had pure black skin, and this one was no different. Naruto would never get used to demons, despite having one live inside him for his entire natural life, for each one was always more ferocious than the last.

**"Well, your pathetic whining actually gave me an idea. Why don't you do the torturing, for a change? It certainly builds character,"** the demon laughed. He knew that the blonde was too pure to torture other souls in exchange for less torture upon his own self. In fact, the boy had actually stood up against him many times before, asking the demon to torture him instead of the other prisoners in the damned caverns beneath the infernal metropolis. The blonde was always one to be the martyr. Even in death he'd sacrifice himself for his beliefs. But this was Hell. Mercy and compassion is useless down here.

The blonde, in between strained gasps of air, spat blood into the demon's face, "Never, you monster! I'll never stoop to your level!"

Without wiping the blood from his face, the red-eyed demon sadistically laughed even more. The man would pay for that. The demon grew giddy at the ideas that formulated in his wicked brain - ideas that would get this kid to break. "You can hurt me, but you'll never break me!" the blonde would always say. But this was Hell. This was _his _domain. And no amount of resistance can prove fruitful to anyone besides his own kind.

After a week of torture, Naruto had finally snapped. He had agreed to torture the other inmates in exchange for his own torture to cease. But little did he know that the guilt caused by torturing others would stay with him for all eternity, which in turn is more torture than anything in Hell is capable of. He did not know how that lone choice would affect him and everyone he ever knew and loved, and how it could affect everyone in the entire living realm. Naruto didn't know that dirtying his soul in the torture of others would bring upon doom to the living world.

In between interrogation and torture sessions, Naruto would mourn for the already dead souls. Though they were far from alive, they were still souls and it felt the same as taking away a child's innocence. In his natural life, he had always dedicated his life to protect people, but here he was. Destroying them. Crushing their hopes of escape even if they knew, deep in their hearts, that escape was impossible. Escape, after all, was something that would never grace them, especially in the most infamous prison in all the realms. This was the point where Naruto he'd never be the same. He was changed. He can no longer become that kind-hearted ninja he used to be. Sure, he still had his values, and he still had his beliefs. But the one thing the demons in Hell had taken away from him was his reason to live as well as his fighter's spirit. The demons made him one of their own. A tenebrous predator of the night, stalking the blazing halls, waiting to pluck from his prey their sparkle. And what was worse was that he was good at it too. In fact, he was the very best torturer in all the planes of Hell combined. Every time he was ordered to, he'd commit to his job and would later hear the product of his work. He would hear the screams of those poor souls, screaming like a trapped animal because of his handiwork. And every time that same red-eyed demon, Makul, would order Naruto to torture the next soul, his own would shrivel and wither away at the shame his handiwork caused. All this because he chose to be selfish and choose the easy path. If he knew back then - back when Makul gave him a choice of being the torturer or being the soul being tortured - that his choice would bring him such suffering, then he never would have chosen this path at all.

"Tell me," the blonde asked his latest victim coldly, "why are you here?"

"B-because I-I'm a killer!" the small ghost of a man quivered under each crack of the metal-tipped whip Naruto carried.

"Wrong," Naruto said, a little more harsher than before. He summoned a gothic, black knife out of his holster and sadistically sliced the man's inner thigh with it's jagged edge. The blonde frowned unsatisfied when the man didn't scream. The soul of his victim felt so much pain that he now was out of breath, apparently. That was no fun.

"Tell me the truth. You know it, and I know it too. Tell me the truth or I'll fucking carve you out!"

The man could only whimper as he was forced to suffer through the guilt from his sins, and, even worse, Naruto's interrogation, "B-because I don't deserve a second chance!" he finally cried out.

"Good," the blonde interrogator adopted Makul's dark smile. But deep inside, he was crying. Crying because he turned away from what he had always prided himself in being. Crying because he regretted taking the path he was in.

For the next few days, the soul of the killer would be forced to endure Naruto's session. Then, Naruto would move on to the next soul, and the next, having to regret his deal with Makul each and every time.

* * *

*****End Flashback*****

Naruto's unconsciousness began to deter, but his eyes were too weak to open. What was weird was that he no longer heard any of the screams and the moans of the many other souls that inhabited Hell. After a while, his strength had started to rejuvenate due to some unknown force. The only pain he felt pain was a burning sensation at the end of his left tricep. But that did not matter, for he gladly preferred this to hellfire. Still a bit drowsy, he finally opened his eyes and found out that he was no longer in his torture chamber. Instead of flame and the constant smell of sulphur, he was now encountered darkness, and the strong scent of rot. Tiredly, he felt around, not liking that his chakra levels were too low to focus into his eyes in order to see in the dark. Wait a minute, he had chakra? The last time he remembered being able to use it was back when he was alive. Could this have been an illusion?

Naruto also noticed that he didn't wear those infernally rough rags that he wore in Hell, but a silken garment instead. The ones rich people wear out of tradition, the kind he couldn't afford to have. He also felt wooden walls, and guessed that he was in some sort of container. He then deduced that he was inside a death casket, belonging to those who are already dead, which explained the smell of rot from earlier. What was this? Could the demons have devised a type of torture that forced one to experience being buried alive? Naruto hoped desperately that this wasn't an illusion. No, he was very well alive. The fact that he was breathing, though barely, certainly proved it. In any case, he couldn't afford to lose hope, not like how he did in Hell where he cracked and succumbed to Makul's dirty offer. He'd never take the coward's path ever again.

He then began knocking on the wooden casket, trying to find a soft spot to break through. Finding a loud spot in the middle of the wooden prison, he braced himself before punching hard into the old wood. At first, it didn't work due to his relatively weak state, but he banged even harder as soon as he heard cracking, when suddenly, earth had finally begun to spill through the wooden walls of his prison.

Minutes later, after worming his way through the moist soil, he finally snaked his hand past the surface, and held onto something secure. He felt water on his hand for the first time in what felt like several lifetimes and wondered if it was raining. He hoped so. He then forced his other arm through the gravel and held onto what he thought was a tree's root, relishing the cold, wet sensation on his hands. A push with his legs thrust his head into the surface, and he was now gasping for large amounts of air. The light rain wetted his dry lips and provided for him more energy to continue. A minute later, his entire upper body was above ground, and with a quick push, he was finally free thanks to a tremendous display of willpower. He felt the soft rain enveloping his entire body in it's brilliance, in it's reward, in it's welcome him to the world. He felt free, he felt liberated, he felt _alive_.

Naruto, not able to stand up at the moment, opened his weak eyes to see that it was night time, and began crawling towards somewhere warm and dry. He was given a chance to live again, and he wouldn't dare to waste it. He maneuvered past bushes and various other shrubbery. He felt various pieces of wood on the ground, so he guessed that he was in a forest. He didn't know quite why he was even buried in a forest, and why the ground was littered with so much bark. But frankly, worrying about his new life was more important. He soon found a hollow tree that seemed fairly dry. Without complaint, the relieved blonde began to gather leaves to cover himself in his little sanctuary. And though he didn't have much chakra, he still had enough to keep his body heat from leaving his exposed body. He was given a second chance, he'd repeat to himself. A second chance.

"This is gonna be a long night," he laughed aloud. Curling himself into a bed of dry leaves, the blonde aloud for sleep to claim him, not caring if this is an illusion anymore. Whatever demon may have allowed him to experience this must have been compassionate, for he hadn't felt happiness in a long, long time.

* * *

*****Dreamscape*****

A groan escaped the blonde ninja, after he found naught but the colour white. He was back in Limbo, the place in between the plane of the living, and the plane of the dead. He remembered this place because he'd been here before, right after his death at the Valley of the End. He then guessed that crawling out of his grave and feeling the soft rain was all just an illusion.

Oh, well, he sighed. Living was fun while it lasted. He had to hand it to those damn demon taskmasters though, cause' that illusion was pretty realistic. He sighed once again, not noticing how he still wore the silken robes of Konoha's deceased rather than the nasty garments given to the prisoners in Hell. After taking a good look around, Naruto noticed he was in the exact room that he stayed in the last time he was in Limbo, only this time he was standing oppositely to the bed. He stayed still, waiting for the next torture, when he looked forward and saw himself on the mirror. He was a boy again, not the old, decrepit man whose weakness caused him his shame. He was exactly the same as when he died! What sort of torture was this? Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by shuffling, causing him to turn around. What the boy saw was something he'd never seen before, a man with a pair of beautifully white wings on his broad shoulders. The man approached him like a master approaching his slave. The stranger looked like the pinnacle of grace and clarity, his hardened jaw lowered to meet Naruto's level in humility.

"I am surprised to know that you are able to see me, human. The others were right…you _are _special."

"Who are you?" Naruto settled into a sloppy stance, forgetting how he hadn't fought or sparred in quite a long time.

The man, who was dressed in a white Kimono, stood taller, "I am an angel of God, Naruto. My name is Castiel."

"W-what?" The boy flinched before settling back into his stance, reaching his hand back to where his kunai holster should've been. "The jig is up! I already know that this is just an illusion, you stupid demon!"

"I am not lying, Naruto. I was the one who pulled you out of Hell. You escaping the depths of your grave, as well as falling asleep in a large tree was real, Naruto. This may be limbo, but you are very much alive. I merely took your soul from your unconscious body, but I will return it as soon as my business with you is done." Castiel watched as the boy subconsciously felt where the burning sensation used to be, underneath his right tricep, "Ah, I'm glad to see that it doesn't hurt anymore. I wouldn't worry, Naruto. Only the pain is temporary. The mark isn't, though, it will be permanently engraved to your skin. But, you can see it as a testimony that you have escaped from Death's clutches...with a bit of help, of course."

Confused at the unknown man's statement, Naruto nervously checked the spot on his arm he had been subconsciously touching, only to gasp in awe as he saw a hand-shaped black mark at the base of his tricep. He sighed in defeat. If those damm demons existed, then maybe these guys did as well.

"So, let me get this straight. You are an angel?" After seeing the brunette smile and then nod, the blonde boy continued, "And you helped me escape Hell? Why?"

Castiel chuckled at the young one's distrust, "Because we need you."

"Who is _'we', _exactly?" Naruto's eyes squinted in suspicion, drawing an unsurprised look from the angel, who began to sit on the white bed Naruto stood opposite to.

"Everyone and everything." This surprised Naruto for the second time. "We need you to save the world from complete and utter annihilation."

"W-what?" The angel sighed sadly at the boy's further showing of distrust. He began playing with his powers, making an apple float from the fruit basket sitting on the table. Castiel made it dance towards him before finally grabbing it and making it disappear out of existence, drawing forth a gasp from the boy. Castiel loved the powers that he and his brothers and sisters were gifted with. Even though it was irresponsible, he'd sometimes use them to amuse himself. The life of an angel was not easy, so they each had to vent out in their own way. He was considered as a stickler for the rules, but he was far from that. Despite their immortality, angels were still very much as imperfect as any other being. They just lived longer.

"You wouldn't need to save the world in a long time, but we need you to prepare. We need you to get stronger."

"What for? What am I saving it from?" The blonde made a bee-line towards the middle of the room after hearing the words 'stronger'. He grabbed a white chair from the table, spun it, and placed it directly in front of Castiel before sitting on it.

"There was a traitor among my ranks ages ago. We sealed him in Hell for a very long time, but he escaped. With the help of you humans, we were able to seal him once again. But ever since then, he's been gathering and collecting his powers. Eventually, he'll break free of his fiery cage, and he will destroy our world if he is left unattended. Fortunately, he won't have the power to free himself for a very long time, but right now, we need you to prepare so that we stand better chance for the world to be saved from his power." Castiel remained monotonous, completely ignoring Naruto's heated glare. "This is the best time to prepare, Naruto. We need your help."

"But why is this happening? And why should I trust you?"

"You can trust me, I assure you. I aim for humanity's best intentions. The reason why this is happening is because the first of the traitor's seal was broken."

"What caused it to break?"

Castiel's face narrowed grimly, eyeing Naruto accusingly. "You did."

"H-how?"

"The first seal is broken when a righteous man in Hell commits an evil act. I think we both know just how you did it, Naruto."

"But I didn't intend for that to happen! I wasn't even supposed to be in Hell in the first place. It's all that fox's fault. If it weren't for him or that damn red-eyed demon this all wouldn't have happened."

"Your opinion does not affect the world's future. Your actions do. You are the one who triggered the wheels of the apocalypse to roll, you are the one is responsible. You can either point fingers or you can take responsibility. You choose."

"Then I choose free will." Naruto eyed the angel defiantly, but shrunk into a corner of the room for fear of the heavenly creature's wrath.

"Then you choose the world's doom. Are you so selfish that you'd choose your own needs over humanity's? You've been given a great honour, Naruto. You are the chosen one. To deny it would not only deny you of your glory, but it will also expunge the world it's future."

"But I don't _want_ to be the chosen one. I don't want all this responsibility. I don't deserve such a role. Have you seen me? Seen what I've been reduced to? I'm a mere shell of the ninja I used to be. I've been cooking in the pit for so long...Things like glory, the future...they're both things I don't deserve."

"Don't blame yourself for the sins you've made. It was all Fate's work. You may have been the one to turn the wheels of the apocalypse, _that_ you are at fault for, but you are not to blame for torturing those guilty souls. Also, no one is blaming you for breaking the first seal. You would have with or without the red-eyed demon you speak of. It is your destiny."

"Wait." A bead of sweat ran down the nape of Naruto's neck. "You know what I did down in the pit?"

"Yes, I do. I am your _guardian angel_, if you will, and I have been so ever since you were born. My job is to observe as well as protect you."

At this point, Naruto was visibly shaking uncontrollably. "If you knew what was happening to me, then why didn't you fucking pull me out of Hell before I went in? Your job is to protect me, right? Well, If I am so damn important, then why the hell did I have to suffer through all that? The demons _broke_ me. They took pleasure in my torment! Where were you, _guardian angel_? Where were you when you could have prevented my suffering!"

"I didn't have the clearance to save you at the time, Naruto. It is law that angels don't interfere with human affairs."

"What happened down there wasn't human at all!" Naruto's cheeks were now red, but he wasn't angry. He was disappointed. "What happened down there...I don't think I could ever forget it."

"Naruto, I am truly sorry. But it is only now that my superiors gave me the order to save you." Castiel's features softened. he truly felt pity for the child. He once knew two men who'd gone through what this poor boy had. He'd missed them, but he knew that they were in a happier place. "Please know that it wasn't you who deserved to go to hell, but the nine-tails. You, Naruto, are a righteous person. You may have taken the wrong path, and you may have broken the first seal, but there is nothing we can do to reverse them. We cannot change what has already happened, but we _can_ change what _will_ happen."

The two stayed there, Castiel sitting atop the large bed, Naruto crouching into a corner. After a long time of absolute silence, the boy stood up, walked towards the angel, and sat at the foot of the bed.

"What exactly am I going to expect? What should I do, now that I am the chosen one?" Naruto was quiet, but his eyes were firm.

The angel made the apple reappear in his hand and smiled, "I can't tell you what you will face against, but whatever non-human you will encounter you _have_ to kill."

"How?" Were there demons on the surface, as well?

"There is a way for you humans to fight those that aren't. You may not know it, but tattooed to your back is a set of seals that hold a special type of weapon that could kill almost anything as long as it isn't human. It is our ultimate gift to you Naruto."

"How about angels? Can it kill you too?" Naruto inquired.

Castiel uncharacteristically snorted in amusement. "There is an exception to everything, young one. However, this special type of weapon was originally designed to kill demons."

That had caught Naruto's attention. With this weapon, he can kill demons. The very creatures that forced him to submit, bore at him until he was him no longer. Though he liked the sound of those words, he didn't think it was possible.

"Demons? I thought that they couldn't be killed. And don't they reside only in Hell? They can't escape Hell, can't they?"

"Such notions are false. You would soon learn that such a feats are VERY possible." He stopped for a beat. "Demons, like any other abnormal being, can live in the mortal realm as humans do. And as so, they can be killed as well. Very soon, you will see the world for what it truly is."

Understanding what the angel had implied, Naruto sighed. "What does this mean for me? Don't get me wrong - every fibre of my being wants to punish each and every one of those demons, but where do I go from here? I can't just march back to Konoha and tell everyone that I 'faked my death'!"

"Naruto, before I answer those questions, I must ask of you to join our cause, for if you don't then we are all doomed."

After a moment of considering his words, Naruto finally said, "Alright, I will join this cause, but this isn't making any sense. What is the going to happen, and _when_ will it happen?"

"I am not permitted to tell you the details, but I will do so anyways." The angel took a breath and continued. "You are not to go back to Konoha, not for quite a while. The reason why is that after the breaking of the first seal, more seals will begin to break as well. It is your job to prepare for the time when all the seals break. We don't know how long it will take for all the seals to break, seeing as how there are hundreds of thousands of them, but once they all break, the traitor's cage will be lifted. What we do know, however, is that it will take many years for all the seal to break, giving you enough time to prepare for the one who betrayed heaven."

"Who is this person who is bringing upon the apocalypse? Who is this 'betrayer of heaven'?"

"Like I said before, he was an angel like I, only stronger, and of the highest rank. He was an archangel before falling into the depths of his madness. His name is Lucifer."

"I see," Naruto pondered. "So, if I'm not going back to Konoha, then where will I go?"

"Naruto, listen carefully, for what I will tell you is twofold. Firstly, you will have to go a place in Lightning country, called Mt. Ashagari. There, you will find a cell of Hunters that will teach you how to vanquish demons and other such creatures of darkness. You are to train with them until I call for you."

"Hunter-nin? What do they know about demons?"

"These are Hunters, not hunter-nin. They are a group of people that have been around FAR before ninjas have roamed the earth. They are humans, like you, but they know of the supernatural. In fact, like the name implies, they _hunt_ the supernatural. With their help, you can survive demon attacks and successfully do things that no normal ninja cannot. Secondly, you must not lose the ultimate weapon. If it falls into the wrong hands, then the result will be just as bad as the apocalypse, for it's power is greater than even mine. You are it's chosen holder, Naruto. You are, once again, humanity's saviour."

"I guess I don't have a choice now, do I?" Naruto bitter fully chuckled to himself.

"Of course you do, Naruto. There is always a choice. It is just that this one saves the lives of people you do and don't know. Do not worry about this sudden change of lifestyle, it isn't so bad. And do not worry about the fate either. Just focus on your training, and all will follow through. The time to act won't take place in a long time, but the time to prepare starts now."

"Castiel, right?" the angel nodded in turn, "How would you know that?" Naruto asked, hoping that the angel would give him a good answer.

Castiel smiled, "Angel, remember?"

And with that Naruto was ejected out of Limbo, and continued on with his sleep.

* * *

*****Hours Later*****

The rain pittered and pattered against the glass windows of the Hokage's office. It was a rather dreary morning in Konoha, for everyone and everything were as slow as molasses that Saturday morning. There was a storm the night before, of which was rare in a country of Fire, meaning that something big may have happened.

Humming an off-key tune, Tsunade decided to end the paperwork for the day, as early as it was. She shuddered at how long it would take to do her job if she didn't use the Shadow Clone technique. It was one of the things that she had adopted from her favourite ninja. She silently thanked Kakashi for his laziness because the day she found him resting on the roof of her tower was the same day he had decided to "offer" her advice on her paperwork, in exchanged for her not revoking his shinobi rank. She smiled at that, causing her serene features to wrinkle a bit. Ever since Naruto's death, she had dropped her eternal illusion, surprising the entire civilian populace in so doing. What was the point of fearing time? What was so bad about age? Those were a few of the many, many questions Naruto had asked her a long time ago. She laughed bitterly at that. Naruto, the only light she had during those trying times, was the answer to the same questions he'd asked her. Thanks to him, she wasn't afraid any longer. Not of time, not of the sight of blood, not of anything. Thanks to him, she grew up. The moment she heard about his death, exactly one year ago, she'd realized that death was inevitable. And so was aging.

Of course, she wasn't at all old-looking for a fifty year old. Any citizen in Konoha would say that she looked as if she were two decades younger, as if she were in her mid thirties. Of course, her features were somewhat wrinkly. But with a little makeup, some would say that she had aged quite beautifully. Jiraiya was the first to say that she looked great even without the genjutsu. In fact, he'd even remarked on her still being bangable. And of course, what kind of woman would she be if she _didn't_ beat the crap out of him? She may have been a hot-head, but she was a consistent hot-head. Being how he was, she couldn't help but smile at that memory. He, too, became her light when she mourned over Naruto. It was a pity, however, that the student had to pass the torch over to the teacher. It should have been the other way around.

A sudden knocking interrupted Tsunade of her reminiscing, causing her to sit erectly, for duty had called.

"Tsu-hime," an obnoxious voice called out from behind the door. Shuffling was heard and Tsunade couldn't help but sigh as the guards tried to prevent the old sage to enter her room. Ever since the death of Naruto, she couldn't help but keep everything in high alert. The tower, the training grounds, the hospital, and especially the academy. She wouldn't dare imagine another bright child dying at the heavy hands of the wicked.

"I don't care what the rules are, I'm going in!" Jiraiya protested against the guards.

"Let the dumbass in already!" Tsunade screamed after growing quite tired of waiting. A chorus of 'Hai!' was chirped before shuffling of feet could be heard. Then, without warning, Jiraiya slammed the broad, double-doors open, and entered with a giddy stare. Tsunade grew to love him when he comforted her during Naruto's funeral, but decided not to tell him because she was anticipating the right time. But somewhere in her soul, she knew that the pervert knew she loved him. She would sometimes think if he were played along for her sake. Nevertheless, she dropped her guard whenever they were alone with each other, knowing fully well that he wouldn't take advantage of her giving him the benefit of the doubt.

"Thank you, Tsu-hime." He greeted her without bowing. He never liked formality. He preferred to being casual when around his peers. And loved ones. Like always, he always wore his bizarre, green and red attire, with his horned headband with the kanji for 'Oil', and his wooden sandals. Despite his formal clothing, he always had that warm, sure grin. Jiraiya had confidence, some would even attest to it being cockiness, and he knew Tsunade both hated and loved that about him.

"Get to the point already. I don't like wasting time especially since I'm on my break from the paperwork." Tsunade sighed again while Jiraiya looked around in mild nostalgia. He could remember waking up at the couch next to the bookshelves every time he over-trained himself in his youth. He could remember spending time with Tsunade in the room, cleaning the shelves on a very special D-ranked missions during his genin days. And finally, he remembered each and every time their team would , every time he sniffed her wonderful vanilla perfume.

"Fine." He said as his eyes bore into former teammate's. "My informant from Ashagari Township in Lightning Country didn't meet his deadline yesterday. You remember Yatsuro, right?"

"Yes," she nodded in mild surprise, "_he_ is your informant?"

"That's right. I could only hope that he ran out of writing supplies, but I highly doubt he did. You, of all people, know that he's a hardy individual. You've diagnosed him once before, haven't you? It takes a lot to get him sick and it takes even more to injure him. That damn geezer. He must have gotten himself in trouble. I need you to send a specialist there to check on him."

"But isn't he as powerful as you, if not more so?"

"That's beside the point. The point is that someone or something might have attacked him, and we both know that the only creatures able to harm him are well out of our realm of power. I don't want to take any chances. I want you to send a Hunter."

Tsunade gently rubbed her temples, knowing quite well the severity of the situation. Knowledge was power, and thanks to her ex-teammate's spy network, Konoha had a lot of it. And to some extent, control. Thanks to Jiraiya's spy network, Konoha was, and still is, the strongest country out of all the elemental nations. Losing a powerful informant such as Yatsuro would definitely harm their status. And to top it all off, the fact that someone was able to harm the hardy informant astounded the godaime hokage. She couldn't risk relieving Konoha of it's security to face a danger she knew no one was capable of handling. She had seen ninja facing ultimate doom before. She had spent numerous weeks mourning over it too. If Jiraiya's fears were true, then spending resources on this task would just spell more meaningless deaths.

"Shouldn't you be the one to investigate, though? It is, after all, _your_ spy network. We both know I can't afford dimming down the patrols and spending resources over a lost cause if what you're saying is true."

"I do intend to investigate for myself, but I need help. Whatever caused Yatsuro to miss his deadline must been one of those creatures he told us about. Whatever got him may not be human. Whatever got him is, very much so, out of my league. I need someone who is powerful enough to handle this creature. I need a Hunter. Hunters don't work for Konoha, so you wouldn't be losing any of your shinobi. Rest assured that no harm will come my way."

"But I didn't ask if you'll be okay-" Tsunade argued.

"We both know you're worried about me, Tsu-him." Jiraiya countered cockily. He to her desk and placed his fingers atop hers. "I'll be fine. I promise. You won't lose me, ever."

"Alright." The blonde Hokage nodded in agreement, "I'll send with you Yenmaki Tenma. He is the only Hunter left in Konoha."

"I appreciate it, but what of his wife? She's a Hunter, too, isn't she? And didn't they retire from their professions when their daughter was born?"

Tsunade merely shook her head. "Tenma is the only Hunter cooperating with us currently. All the others work solely for The Conclave and refuse to answer my letters. And as for his wife...you'll have to ask him that yourself."

Jiraiya noticed the sad undertone in Tsunade's voice. He'd have to talk to Tenma about his wife later. He then lifted his hands from Tsunade's and retreated towards the window.

"So it's settled then? You're fine with him accompanying you on your mission?"

"Of course it is. And thanks, Tsu-hime." He smiled at her warmly, grinning at the blush that had reddened Tsunade's cheeks. "I believe a Hunter of his calliber would greatly help me."

Watching her ex-teammate turn his back to leave via window, she cried, "Please come back safe, you idiot."

Momentarily, he turned his head to smile longingly towards her, "For you, hime, I will."

* * *

*****Later that Night*****

In an open field at the base of Mt. Ashagari, fear radiated from a lone figure as he ran away from the treeline of a thick forest to an open field. His laboured breaths and the rustling of bushes were all that could be heard, for he had been running from something for the past hour. Whatever was chasing him was toyed with him, for it knew that he was pushing his withering body far beyond his limits. He was old. The fact that he had ran for so long surprised him, even under the dark pitch of night. The old man looked behind to see if he had lost his pursuer, but he stumbled in so doing. As he collected himself, the bush he passed by earlier rustled violently. His pursuer was close. The old man desperately picked himself up, sensing that his chaser was closing in.

He ran a bit further into the middle of the wide field, and then looked back again to see who was chasing him. He saw a glimpse of the man that followed him, but Fear told him to turn away and flee. He did. But as soon as he turned to run away, he found himself in a dead end. In front of him was a raging, white-water river. Surely, if he were to take so much as a step in it he'd be pulled away to his utter doom. The old man gave up and stood still, his heart still racing at the hour long chase. He did not turn around, for he did not want to give the pursuer the pleasure of seeing his frightened face. He then heard light footsteps from behind. This was his end.

"Give up, you old geezer," the chaser said humorously, "or should I say _Demon_. "

The old man, despite his old and tired-looking state, began to chuckle darkly, as if he were possessed.

The pursuer continued. "You're trapped, demon. Leave this man be and go back from where you came!"

**"I believe that it is _you_ who is trapped, boy!"** The old man spat in disdain. He turned around to face his pursuer. Neither men could see each other's face for it was too dark. **"I've planned this from the very start!"**

The man, who was shrouded in a white cloak, saw the old man attack citizens in the nearby village prior to their chase. He didn't see the demon-vessel's face at the time, but he'd begun chasing it as soon as he spotted it. He did not care what the demon's plans were. He was still the hunter, and the demon was still the prey. Nothing would get in the way of his work. There was no way the demon could possibly turn the tides of his hunt.

"What the hell are you talking about? What's so funny?" He questioned, but tensed when the demon walked towards him, laughing as it's voice distorted in it's power.

**"Fool, do you not know who I used as my vessel?"**

Then, the demon lifted its head, revealing to the Hunter the face of its vessel.

"YOU BASTARD!" The man roared in unrestrained hate, after seeing that the demon possessed old man Yatsuro, his master. He saw amidst the old wrinkled features, and the thinning grey hair, the demon's sadistic smile. "He was like a fucking priest! A good man! How the hell could you do this? You did this just to get in my head, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?"

**"Why, of course!" **The demon sing-songedly barked. **"I wanted to taste Hunter flesh, but the only way to do that was to raise this wretched man's corpse from the ground to lure you into my web."**

"But how?" The thickly veiled man protested. "Demons can't posses corpses! He was dead for nearly two days!"

**"I have friends, boy. Friends whose powers are greater than any of you mortals could imagine. Raising the dead is a chore compared to the feats they've accomplished. Now, I believe it is my turn to give chase. You'd better run, before I devour you right here, right now!"**

"Fuck no!" The man said adamantly, defiantly. "You've sullied my teacher's name! He raised me like a son, you sick, twisted son of a bitch! I won't repeat myself. Who helped you raise Yatsuro's corpse? Tell me or I'll shove your sorry ass back to Hell!"

The demon, who's stance widened at the Hunter's threat, began to growled sounds no natural creature could possibly make. The Hunter felt power so great it caused tremors in the dark Sea of Green they used as their battleground. Even though it was such a dark night, the veiled HUnter could still see the demon's deep, black, pupilless eyes. **"Fine, if you say so!"**

The demon extended his right arm, his hand poised towards the Hunter's obscure face. He then squeezed his fingers into a fist, willing for the man's head to compress into mush. However, nothing happened.

**"What have you done to me?"** The demon roared in confusion and annoyance.

The Hunter replied simply by brandishing his bare chest from beneath his cloak. The demon saw a vast array of seals tattooed to the man's hardened chest. The Hunter had been anticipating their battle.

**"So, Hunter, you came prepared." H**e chuckled, not really caring for this minor obstacle. **"However, it matters not, for simple spells and seals cannot stop me from unleashing my wrath!"**

Now, the demon's hand, of which was originally poised towards the Hunter's head, faced the ground. Then, his hand started pulling on some invisible object from the ground. Oh, how little did the Hunter know.

As the vessel's thin arm began to struggle to summon forth some kind of power, orbs of flame began to dance in the demon's wake. The balls of fire started growing, and when it stopped, each orb looked to be about ten feet in diameter. The orbs then began to dissipate, each beginning to take the appearance of a gigantic canine. They snarled, smoldering in their fiery, yet solid bodies. They surrounded the twisted demon, sentinels guarding their master.

**"The creatures you see here..."** The demon began to walk towards the creature to his left and began petting it's hind leg. The demon's hand did not burn, though the surrounding vegetation did. **"These creatures are hellhounds. I hope you are ready, Hunter, for these beasts that I summoned came straight from Hell!"**

Wordlessly, the Hunter jumped over the beast to the demon's right. In mid air, he drew both of his daggers, each the size of a human femur. The hellhound readied itself for an assault and began to swipe at the Hunter with its long, fiery claws. The Hunter, still in flight, parried the creature's retaliation with one of his daggers, ignoring the heat that radiated from the tremendous paws. However, the heat only intensified when his parry had caused him to land on the hellhound's smoldering back. He wasn't worried, for the seals in his clothing protected them from the elements. But of course, that hadn't meant that he himself were resistant to the flames. He held his breathe, as each inhalation caused the heat to flood his lungs. He then aimed his daggers at the creature's head, but the other hellhound didn't have any of it. The next thing the man knew, a great ball of flame had escape the other hellhound's burning maw and was quickly flying towards him.

At the last second, he disappeared and then reappeared underneath the hound that he was originally on top impaled the great beast with his daggers, causing embers to cling to his naked neck. He made no noise as he ran towards the hellhound's head, allowing for the daggers to slide with him in so doing. Cries of the fiery beast's pain could be heard throughout the surrounding forests as he finally slid his daggers into the great beast's head, twisting each blade viciously just to make sure he killed it. However, what happened next caught him by surprised. The great flame that had consumed the legendary beast intensified, causing it to smoke. And then, in a conflagrant display, the beast exploding in a fiery mess. He disappeared once more before getting consumed in the beast's last stand, causing some of the surrounding vegetation to light aflame in his place. The increase in smoke forced the Hunter to cover his face with his cloak. He looked around and found that the burning flora would soon cause a forest fire. If he did not finish the demon off, then he too would be consumed in flames.

**"Good job," **a demonic voice growled from behind him, before he was brutally kicked towards the remaining hellhound, **"but nothing you do will be good enough to defeat me."**

Though the force in which he was kicked was great, the force of the hellhound catching him with it's claws and thrusting him towards the ground was even greater. He silently winced as the weight of the beast's leg pinned his chest to the burning ground. He cursed at the pain. The creature roared in victory, but before it could feast on the man, he had disappeared again. Only this time, in a plume of smoke.

What happened next was surreal even to the demon's eyes. After seeing the Hunter escape from his summon's grasp, he saw the hunter reappear above the creature, a Chokuto sword reared behind his head to strike. With a quick movement, the hunter cleaved the hellhound's fiery head right off. Effortlessly and efficiently. This act, too, had caused the beast to explode, but a quick maneuver helped the Hunter to land correctly and gracefully in front of the demon, whose growls of anger served to amuse the Hunter.

**"I'm impressed,"** the demon mockingly clapped before suddenly running towards the Hunter, **"but we both know you don't have the guts to hurt your beloved master!"**

In retaliation, the Hunter, using his Chokuto, drew blood from his own hand, then slammed the bloody blade into the burning ground. This triggering seals that lit up in contrast to the darkness of night. The seals forced the demon to be suspended in his step, incapacitating him to the highest degree. The Hunter laughed. This was his victory, he had successfully captured his prey. His amusement grew into a full blown laugh after seeing the once proud demon squirm and struggle in dire desperation, "What was it that you said, asshole? 'Nothin I do is good enough? I don't have the balls to hurt my own master? My master died two days ago! You aren't my master."

The demon stopped struggling and began to grin once more. **"You plan to kill me? This trap may have worked as you have intended, but it won't last. As soon as I get out of this weak shell, then I'll find you and kill you!"**

"You actually believe that?" It was the Hunter's turn to grin menacingly. This demon killed his master. Revenge was the only thing that mattered to him at this point. He threw away his cloak, revealing a sweaty upper body, his lean muscles glowed in an orange hue due to the ring of flame that surrounding the both of them. He wore white, loose-fitting leggings, and an equally white Hunter's mask that had completely blotted out his narrow face. If he didn't have so much killer intent emanating from his form, he would have looked like royalty.

"You'd be dumb to think I don't have some sort of weapon to fight you. Us Hunters were trained to exorcise things like you. Don't put me on your level, demon. Your fate was decided the moment you raised my master from his reseting place!"

He then brandished his bloody blade, held it parallel to the burning ground. The demon saw that the blade, beneath the Hunter's blood, was black. He gasped, it could only mean one thing.

"This Chokuto's blade is blessed. It was made by smelting and layering a hundred metal crucifixes together and it was cooled off with holy water as well. Say your prayers, demon. Your fate is sealed."

Panic struck the demon's face. The demon felt fear, a feeling it had pretended to show earlier when he was chased, but had now experienced for the very first time. The demon didn't like this new feeling at all. And because of that, the Hunter almost began to feel guilty at what he was about to do. Almost.

**"You won't do it," **the demon stuttered pathetically, **"you wouldn't destroy this body, just to exorcise me!"**

"My master already died, you dipshit." The Demon tried to find even the smallest trace of mercy in the Hunter's eyes, but found none. "You killed him, remember? I won't allow you to live and walk on this earth, even if destroying my master's body is what I have to do!"

But then, the demon laughed manically, causing the Hunter to flinch in shock. Had he missed something?** "Well, in that case-AHHHH!"**

The Hunter cursed when the demon suddenly let loose a wave of demonic energy. The face of his teacher grinned once more as a black mist began to escape the vessel's mouth. The vessel's face paled as the ghastly mist receded into the nigh sky. The Hunter knew what this had meant. The demon was escaping it's vessel, manifesting itself into a mist. A demon mist. And due to the intangibility, it was able to escape the effects of his masterly crafted seal. He roared in anger, knowing that he'd lost his chance to exorcise the demon. He heard demonic laughter even as he could see the black mist no longer.

**"I will meet you once again, Hunter. And when I do, I will make you pay for thwarting me!"**

The Hunter yelled back, "And I will send you right back to Hell!"

He sighed as the demon had seemed to have disappeared completely. He sealed is blessed chokuto into a sealing tattoo the shape of a cross in his forearm. He didn't exorcise it as planned, but he had won the battle. No doubt the demon would rear it's ugly head in the future, but there was no reason to believe that it would do so soon. Demons were a cowardly race. It would take time for them to recover, and when they do, they'd usually come back with more of their friends. He did not fret, for he had friends of his own.

Sighing once again, he took a look around and found himself in a field of flame. In a while, the forest would burn. He'd better hurry. He then picked up his old teacher's corpse, wanting to bury it somewhere…better. As soon as he put Yatsuro on his shoulder, it had begun to rain. What perfect timing, he mused. It wasn't the hard and stormy type of rain, either. No, it was soft and light, but still enough to douse the flames, preventing it from reaching the forest, where many, many animals lived. He chuckled briefly before also picking up his cloak and sealed it into a scroll. He looked towards the raging stream and left the field without a word.

**

* * *

**

Hours later had past and it was no longer night. It was now dawn, but the rain had not ceased since it had started puring. Now that he was further down the river, the Hunter decided that this place, a place where animals normally went to for nourishment, was the perfect place to bury his master. This special spot would make the perfect new resting place as his master was always the never did appreciate his master for having to deal with his antics, but he'd soon find out how hard that job would be.

Quickly going through a few hand seals, the Hunter casted a simple earth jutsu, sending both him and his teacher's corpse underground. Minutes later, only he re-emerged. Another set of hand seals raised a gigantic boulder from the earth. He placed it over the spot where Yatsuro was now buried. And on that boulder was written, "For the best damn Teacher in the whole fuckin' world. Rest in Peace, Yamahara Yatsuro".

He then walked further upstream, until he reached a small area where he was sure people wouldn't find him. A clearing in the forest, close to the river. Trees covered every directionHe didn't worry about flooding because It didn't seem like it would rain for long. In fact, the rain had already begun to disperse. He went through even more seals, erecting a tent from the ground. Happy with his temporary shelter, he walked towards the river, which was not as fast as it was downstream. He dipped his blades into the water, cleaned it until he could now see his covered face. He noticed that he was smiling happily. Happy that the only thing that dirtied his blades were ash from the hellhounds. He was willing to harm his teacher's corpse if it meant exorcising the demon, but was glad now that he didn't have to. It didn't matter, anyway. If he were to exorcise the demon, it would still be alive, in Hell. That fact alone had always annoyed him. No matter how many demons he'd exorcise, they would always come back. He wished there was a way for him to actually kill off those damn things without having to deal with them again.

Ignoring the depressing thoughts, he began to walk to his tent. He stopped in his tracks, however, when he heard the bushes behind his tent shaking violently.

* * *

**Conclusion: Didn't expect the angel and demon thing, right? Well, this story IS crossing over with Supernatural, after all. For further reference, let me say that i am also crossing this story over(minor concepts) with a few other stories in order to let naruto fight a lot of cool cretures. For example, if i want him to fight a succubus, i'll do some research on succubi, and get concepts for the internet, and other sources, like D&D. Btw, tell me how you think about the new OC? . By far, he is my favourite character due to his immature, yet brash behaviour. Story spoilers for whoever guesses which Supernatural character he is modelled after! For now, i won't tell you his name, cos' i'll tell his name in the next chapter, or the next.**

**Quick Note: In this story, Naruto will slay beings of unnatural power(such as Vampires, Werewolves, and etc). I've done quite a bit of research and am pleased to say that I have enough knowledge of the supernatural to make a book the size of a building about them! The problem is, I have little to no clue what type of monster/legendary creatures that YOU, the reader, want. So, I am giving all readers the chance to give me suggestions as to what monster you want Naruto to face off. I've already gotten a request to make Naruto fight a vampire. And since it was the first suggestion, I'll make it my first priority to see that it is fulfilled. Now, there are two ways that you can tell me what creature you want Naruto to fight. You can either private message me or just write on the reviews section of the story. I'll also come up with polls here and there as to which creature you'd like to see more of. And don't worry, folks. You're opinion matters much to me !**

**R&R and Thank YOU!**


	3. Chapter 3 It's A Small World, After All

**Author's Note: So, welcome to round three of The Duty of a Hunter! Lets hope that this chapter satiates your hunger for a good story-telling. This chapter is especially important because you get to learn more about Hunters and how they operate. This chapter isn't as long as the last, but you actually learn a bit more than you did in the last. I plan for all my chapters, for the sake of your boredom, to be the perfect length, in between 5000-10000 words. So, without further adieu, here's my story!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I'd use all my money to make jutsus real.**

* * *

He'd been awake for quite some time now. Though he was still lying on his makeshift bed, in the center of an old hollow tree, he could still see the sky. It was, to his delight, a wonderful summer morning. Birds were chirping, and the breeze blew by quite nicely. Overall, it was like any other day in Fire country. However, something was off, and he knew just what it was.

It was the trees, or rather the absence of any living tree in the immediate area. At first, upon waking up, Naruto noticed a lack of any animal noises in Konoha's forest. Then, he noticed a complete lack of forest altogether. Rather than green grass and the soothing presence of life, there was only death and rot. He took a few steps outside his shelter and almost tripped on a tree. All the trees seemed to have fallen away from something. But what? He looked towards the hole, the grave the villagers buried him in. He then looked around and noticed that the place looked like a meteor had fallen upon the place, for there was a crater surrounding the hole where he'd slept eternally. When he was crawling about the night before, he noticed that the trees disappeared. But now he knew where they were. On the ground. That explained why he had such a tough time navigating the area. Someone, or something, had pushed all the trees in the surrounding area flat into the ground, uprooting them and making a very dirty mess. He'd also realized that the area in which the trees were pushed formed a great circle, and that all the trees that were pushed down were pushed away from one central point. His grave. This was Castiel's doing.

This was a testament of Castiel's power, he thought. This had taught him that angels probably had enough power to completely devastate the land. Maybe even worse. All this was done for the sake of dragging one such as he from the fiery depths of hell.

But that did not matter, for he needed to move to his destination. And that destination was Mt. Ashagari, in Lightning country - wherever that is. He had a duty, an obligation to an order of creatures he didn't believe existed before his coming back to life. But more importantly, he had a duty to his fellow humans, for now he knew that everyone was at risk of confronting demons or anything as horrible. He needed to learn how to fight these unnatural creatures, and he knew where to learn it, and from who to learn from, as well.

He wasn't surprised to see himself wear the same black funeral garments that the dead wore during funerals. He'd seen himself wear them in his dream. He was glad that he wore his old ninja sandals, though these seemed a bit too small on him. It was a fair price to pay, for traversing with small sandals was much better than trekking through country sides without any footwear at all. He swatted away all the dirt and leaves that covered his sides, happy that he didn't have any problems during the night. His smile, however, was wiped completely off his face when he saw that surroundings were very familiar.

"Naruto," the ninja began to hear a voice, surprising him for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning.

"What is it? W-who are you?" the blonde asked, looking around erratically, for the voice that seemed to had come from every direction.

"This is Castiel. Do not forget your mission. Travel, learn, and master. You need to accomplish these tasks if you want to save your race, and all the others, as well. We all depend on you."

The boy sighed, and then relaxed. He found the angel's voice very comforting. He played the idea of having a guardian angel watching over him. He began to walk north-east, the direction where he knew where Lightning country resided, "How can you talk to me?"

"Us angels can do more than you think, young one. Much more than you think is possible," and that was the last he'd heard for a while from the angel. Steeling his will and convicting his step, he marched on to Lightning country, hoping that he'd soon get to Mt. Ashagari. For he knew that ignorance was bliss, he'd wished that he still had a normal ninja life. But then again, what could be better than learning how to kill demons? He'd finally get the chance to make them suffer instead.

* * *

*****Lightning country*****

The bush shivered as if it could somehow feel the cold. Well, It _was _cold, but the hunter doubted that the bush was charmed in any way. Something must be lurking behind it. He took a few steps closer to the trembling plant when he'd heard animalistic grunts and the sound of twigs snapping. He drew a single knife, thinking that an animal or monster was behind the violently shaking plant. Hoping that the creature saw him, he made himself look intimidating by standing taller, snarling back at the creature hidden behind the plant. But once the bush stopped moving, and once he'd heard no more noises, he inched closer yet again, readying himself for a monster attack.

However, when he grew tired of waiting, he checked the bush. It was just an animal. It was a large grey wolf, it's sleeping form limp with fatigue. It must've tired itself out from trying to get itself out of the bush, he thought.

He noticed that the wolf had deformed ears, stubby as if it were still a cub, and that some parts of it's anatomy were out of proportion. A close analysis had confirmed that this creature was female, and that it was not a wolf at all. He'd read about these types of creatures. Well, _forced _to read about them, really, by his younger brother. These creatures had the shape of wolves, behaved like wolves, and even fed from the same prey as wolves, yet they weren't. No, these creatures, though were similar, were actually bigger than wolves. Much bigger, able to reach the size of elephants. This wolf-sized creature was a Fenrir cub. A female Fenrir cub.

Seeing that it needed his help, he picked the large beast up, and mounted her on his shoulder. He then walked to camp and placed it into the shelter of the stone tent, right beside the warmth of the fire. After the laborious task, he called forth, from the earth, a bowl made out of stone and walked towards the river, hoping to give the cub some water once it wakes up. When he finished scooping some of the fresh water into the bowl, he placed it beside the sleeping Fenrir. He sighed. Usually, hunters like he didn't help supernatural creatures of any kind. They preferred to keep the balance, punishing those that tried to tip the scales, and hunting those that tried to harm or prey on humans. And here he was, tipping the scales. He was in for an for an earful, no doubt about that. What made it even worse was that he didn't regret doing it. Although his pride and his mind, but mainly his pride, had told him to leave the she-cub alone, his compassionate side told him otherwise

But wait a second. How did the cub get here? In his spot, sitting next to the cub, he mentally slapped himself. The cloak-clad hunter realized that the auras from battle he'd had prior to this moment must have scared all the creatures in the forest. Though he had no doubt that it's mother must of left it in the rush of leaving to protect it's other children, he doubted that the mother would come back for this one. This sleeping, fuzzy creature was all alone, and would be her whole life if he hadn't saved her.

Sighing once again, the hunter lazily stood up and walked towards the river. He needed to catch fish for food. He hoped the Fenrir cub could eat seafood, babies needed their nutrients after all.

* * *

*****Fire country*****

Grey and dreary weather was the type of weather that the Toad Sannin loved, especially during missions. The sight of overcast skies, rain, and the smell of earthworms were all things that gave him comfort. It had begun to rain hours ago, but he'd already anticipated it. He found protection from getting wet inside his favourite Sake bar, in his favourite village.

When the rain stopped, he finished his pint, stood up, and headed for the market district. Tsunade's orders were simple. Find Yenma, and the man would do the rest. Based on his memory, Yenma was not only just a Jounin. No, he was far more than that. Yenma was a Hunter. Jiraiya didn't know much about them, but he knew just how powerful this particular one was. He also knew that Hunters seek to find some sort of balance. Whatever that balance may be, he didn't know, for his knowledge on them was very minimal. However, his knowledge on what they did hunt weren't as minimal as his knowledge on Hunters in general. Either way, he needed to question his old friend on that topic.

Other than Yenma and Yatsuro, he knew only one other hunter, which had explained why he knew so little of them. His experience with them, to put it simply, was eye-opening. Outside of battle, they were just as enigmatic as they were in battle. And in battle, they were treated with equal measures of both fear and reverence. They carried theirselves with so much pride, yet they all seemed to carry some sort of burden on their shoulders. A dark burden, but fortunately not a lonely burden. Only one thing was certain - they needed to be treated with caution. Unfortunately, the sage was on his way to one's home right now.

Broodingly, the Sannin made his way through the village's market district, weaving his way through young adults who were trying to find deals for the produce they'd wanted. He then headed for the most infamous ninja facility in the entire district - a place that his old friend, Yenma, owned. It was a place called "The Roadhouse". It wasn't much of an impressive sight. Although the exterior of the establishment looked small, he knew that the interior was pretty large. Looks were indeed deceiving. He noticed that Yenma, or at least one of his workers, had coated the building with a new shade of white. Now, it had looked newer than it did during his youth.

The Roadhouse had been here before his own birth. He didn't actually know when it was built, but it was there for a long time. What he did know was what the establishment had been through throughout the years. He remembered hearing from Tsunade, during his years as an active ninja, that the place had suffered a tragic, yet suspicious, fire incident. It was through the Shodaime Hokage's strength and compassion that the place was rebuilt. Rumours have said that the wood in which it was rebuilt was chakra-infused, thanks to the first Hokage's power. There hadn't been a recorded fire there since.

The sage, after taking a good look at the place, began to step inside. Once he did, he smelled right away the scent of booze, and that of newly forged metal. Deep inside the store, was a forge that Yenma personally used as well as for his business. Not only did the man own a bar, and an inn for people to stay in at the top level of the building, he'd also owned a store that sold many weapons and accessories. All in one establishment, too.

At the center of the main room were chairs for people to eat. It wasn't so much a bar, but a as bar. Along the sides were pool tables, dart boards, and other things that ninjas entertained theirselves with in between missions. Behind the bar, he knew, was the store. He didn't quite know why it was placed there, but he didn't give a damn. It did, however give him a sense of danger every time he'd go inside to buy things he'd need, or to re-stock on supplies. During his days as a Jounin, the Toad sage had loved this place to death. Like the people here were doing right now, this place was his go-to place in between his missions. This place, where he'd had so much fun times at, was now where his current mission now started.

Passing by the tables, the toad sage forced himself not to challenge some punk kid in pool. It was his favourite game. He strode towards the bar, ignoring the stares of awe that many of the ninja there sent his way. He smiled, he liked feeling as though he were a legend. Oh wait, he was.

He now stood next to the bar, nodded towards the man behind the counter, "Hey, Kiyoru. Is Yenma here today?"

The bald man wearing an apron nodded back, mirthfully playing with his beard in nastolgia, "Why, I haven't seen you in a while, son. How has life been?"

"Don't stall, Kiyoru. And damnit, don't treat me like a hormonal little kid again. I'm an old man just like you are!" the sage pouted playfully.

"Jiraiya, Jiraiya. You may be older, but you are still up to no good, I see. Yenma's in the back room. From the sounds of it, he's probably just finished that project he was working on. I think he was fashioning his daughter a new Nodachi for her hunter training."

"Already? At her age? Those swords are huge. You think she could handle it?" the sage asked.

"Now it is _you _who is stalling, Jiraiya. Go now, I have customers to deal with," the man opened for Jiraiya the black-painted door behind him, ushering the sage inside. He then gave the fabled sage a wave, knowing that he'd see him again when he leaves.

Upon entering the outlet store, the first thing that Jiraiya saw were weapons. Sharp and deadly weapons. Along the walls were blades of all sizes, staves of every length, and clothes with many hidden compartments. He'd automatically felt the heat from the forge's furnace, taking away some of the moisture in his mouth. Each and every one of the weapons that were proudly displayed on the walls were the very same ones he'd seen Yenma personally use in the heat of battle. Yenma had actually been the first Hunter that Jiraiya had seen. The first impression he'd gotten was that they were strong. Very strong. He didn't quite know how, but Hunters, to his experience, were capable of felling great beasts. He'd even seen the Yenmaki easily defeat Gamabunta, in a great display of power, after he asked him how powerful he was. Truly, from his experience, it was safe to say that probably all hunters were as skilled in battle as his friend. Well, the experienced ones at least. However, Jiraiya hadn't even experienced Yenma's full strength. Though he doubted that this mission was anywhere near action-packed, he still hoped that he'd see his friend at full power.

"Jiraiya?" A friendly voice queried from behind the toad sage "Oh, please. Don't tell me that you're early for a change!"

The Sannin turned around to see Yenma, who had apparently walked in from the bar that he too had just been in. The hunter had looked like he always did, only his shoulder-length, dark brown hair had greyed, and that the skin at the sides of his eyes crinkled with every smile. Other than that, Yenma didn't change much at all.

Jiraiya crossed his arms, a smile now tugging at his lips, "Damn, Yenma. You look great! And how's the wife and kid? If the kid's any bit as talented as her father then I'm pretty sure she's doing good!"

"The kid's okay. Her hunter training is going along pretty well, but-", the man's normally warm smile shrivelled into a frown, the blush now left his cheeks. But Jiraiya, being the immature one of the two, didn't notice until it was too late.

"She's starting her Hunter training already? I heard that the training was brutal, even for my standards. But-hey, what's the matter? Is this a bad time?"

"No, my old friend," the hunter tried to say reassuringly, "its just that Ao died recently…"

"Yenma," the old sage patted his friend's shoulder, "I'm so sorry. I really didn't know. Are you and your kid faring well? Let's sit down."

They both strode back to the bar and they each had found themselves a stool. The bald man from behind the counter nodded towards Jiraiya, knowing very well that his boss, Yenma, needed a friend at this time.

"Two beers, Kiyoru. On me." Jiraiya glanced at the bartender before turning back to his friend. "So, tell me what's going on. I'm all ears. They say that letting it out helps the soul, you know."

"Well," the man tried to gather whatever pride he had left. Jiraiya had never before seen this side of Yenma. And frankly, the old pervert was worried.

"Well, me and Tenten are fine. Especially Tenten, she's always been like her mother," he sniffed.

"How did she die?" the Hermit asked, hoping that he sounded sincere.

"Death Dealers. Twenty of them. She died fighting," he suddenly began to quiver, his voice faltered as well, "but she died strong."

Jiraiya could only nod in understanding. He felt so hopeless. His friend was hurting, and he couldn't do anything about it. If only he were as good at this as Tsunade. He remembered how strong Ao's soul was. Though she wasn't a ninja, she was an enigma. A deadly enigma. He remembered looking through her records out of suspicion a few years ago, and found out that her history was classified. This only served his suspicion, but she'd found him snooping through her files. At first he was surprised, then scared that she'd snuck up on him without his notice. Of course she'd kicked his ass like many of the other women he'd angered in his life. But after finally asking her she started to sing like a canary. It was because of that that he learned about where she came from and how she ended up in their side of the world. She also told him about things he didn't needed to know about, like how she and Yenma came to be and how they came about balancing their life while raising a young ninja hopeful. She was quite the woman indeed.

"But you know what? She even took one down just before she died," Yenma chuckled bitterly, wiping a few stray tears from his reddened face, "but it was all my fault, Jiraiya. I gave away our position, and minutes later, the entire damn clan came down on us like a wave. There were several waves, actually, but you get the point. Ao saved my ass that day, but I couldn't save her. S-sometimes I'd wish that I died with her - or at the very least, I'd die in her place. But that would be selfish, right? Besides, I have Tenten to take care of. That girl's all I got."

"At least she died doing what she loved, Yenma. And saving who she loved." The older man warmly said as he watched Yenma down an entire tankard of brown ale, his own stomach burning from sake that he ingested.

"U-umm, quick question," Jiraiya inquired after a few moments, now scratching the back of his head.

"What?" the Hunter demanded, his throat still burning from the ale.

"What are Death dealers?"

Yenma sighed, palming his face with his calloused hand, "They're the living dead, blood-suckers, the damned, night-walkers, or whatever the hell you want to call them. You may know them as vampyres, and it was I who pissed them off enough to kill my wife."

"Again, my friend, I'm really sorry to hear that."

The veteran hunter chuckled, feeling much better, "I'm sure you are, Jiraiya. I'm sure you are. But you aren't here to see a Hunter drown in his sorrows, are you? Lets talk mission. I'm pretty sure you and Kiyoru are tired of listening to my ranting."

"That's what I like to here!" Jiraiya grinned earnestly, smacking his friend's back with mirth. "Glad to have you back."

"Yes, I believe that you are the one that holds the mission details. I also suspect that you'll tell me while I prepare."

"Huh?" the sage replied _quite_ eloquently. He was surprised to see the Hunter stand up.

With a hard face, Yenma sternly said, "If the Lady Hokage gave you permission to use my services for the mission, then I can only deduce that I am needed due to my field of expertise."

"That's a good assumption, but haven't you thought that I just wanted you to come along just for the company?" The sage playfully remarked as he followed his friend back into the outlet store.

When Jiraiya followed his friend back inside, he saw the man opening a door at the back of the room while muttering how much of a fool the pervert was. Following the Hunter even further, the sage learned that the door led them into another, darker room with what he guessed was Yenma's personal stash. The small room within the furthest recesses of the store didn't have weapons on the wall, but had seals on them. Each seal was circular in shape, and at the middle of each seal a picture of a weapon or tool was painted. The sage aging chanced that the pictures stood for what was sealed. These were probably some of his favourite weapons. But on top of the seals, along the walls were shelves with scrolls of different sizes. The small ones, he guessed, might've contained at least hundreds of weapons and accessories each. He didn't even want to know how much the bigger ones had. And there was a huge metal strongbox, which was bolted to the ground, in the middle of the room.

"You fool," the Hunter sighed as he opened a strongbox, sealing away weapons that he might need for the mission, "if you were to recruit me for informal purposes, then I'd obviously refuse. Simple as that."

"You'd refuse knowing that Yatsuro died?"

In a split second, Yenma dropped his sealing scrolls and was already clamping his hardened hands on the sage's collar, he snarled slowly, "Tell me what happened. Now."

The sage coughed, "Yenma, you're chocking me. L-let go."

After Yenma let go of the wheezing sage, he continued, "The truth is that I don't really know what happened to Yatsuro. He didn't send me his weekly report, and you know how he is. He wouldn't ignore his duty just like that. So whatever happened to him might be something you can handle. Besides, I'm just a modest, little sage - not a Hunter."

"So you want me to hunt down whatever caused him to not give you your report?" the Hunter tensed, keeping himself busy by picking up the scroll that he dropped earlier.

"That is correct," he smiled when he saw Yenma walked to the wall and touched his hand on picture to unseal a weapon that was very familiar to him, "I don't quite know what got to him, but whatever did it is something that I'm sure you could handle."

After sealing equipment inside the scroll, he tucked it inside a pouch on his belt, "With enough preparation, I think I can."

"What?" Jiraiya's form twitched slightly, a few beads of sweat now rolling down his forehead, "you're not sure? Aren't you the best Hunter out there?"

The flattered Hunter laughed a bit too loudly as he walked towards the far wall, reaching for another scroll, "I am in no way, shape or form, the best Hunter. My wife was a better Hunter. I'd consider myself average, despite the fact that I could best you in a serious fight six times out of ten.

"Jiraiya," the Yenmaki continued before Jiraiya could even talk back, "I could tell right now that you think you could take on any of the creatures I hunt if you knew how to beat them. But trust me, old friend, its not as easy as it sounds. You need to acknowledge that there are monsters out there that are more powerful than you and I combined."

Worriedly, Jiraiya's face contorted into a frown, "Then how do you suggest we go about this?"

After he finished putting in his pouch the scrolls that he needed, Yenma strode towards a coat hanger and grabbed a cloak. And with a flick of his dextrous hand, the cloak wrapped around his burly form and concealing his face in shadows.

"Elementary, my dear Jiraiya. We prepare for the worst."

* * *

*****Mt. Ashagari*****

After an hour of rest, the wolf-sized cub had awoken in surprising warmth. Though she couldn't yet see due to her age, she could feel the warmth emanating from somewhere.

The Hunter had kept a close and watchful eye on her for the entire time, making sure that she got at least some heat from the fire. When he saw the large cub move around and moan, he could tell right away that she was hungry. He was surprised to see it begin to walk because of it's early age. However, Fenris were a species that Hunters knew little about. Whatever he experiences from then onward may surprise him, but would be understandable. Hopefully, he'd adapt to those changes as well.

He was surprised even further when the cub shakily, but steadily, inched towards the water that he placed in a stone bowl in front of it. For though she was temporarily blind, her other senses were working, to his relief. After lapping up a good amount of water, it then eagerly moved towards the other bowl beside her. The one with ground fish meat. The hunter took off his dark grey mask and wiped the sweat off from his hazel eyes. While he cooked the fish that he caught, he'd wondered if Fenrir cubs could even eat fish. Right now, he didn't care because his little lady was enjoying her meal.

"Lady, eh?" he said aloud, not talking to anyone in particular, "I like the sound of that."

After the large cub finished eating her meal, he began to eat a fish that'd he cooked for himself. He stroked the happily Fenrir cub's fur, "I suppose your name is Lady."

As he suspected, Lady began to shrink until she was the size of an actual wolf cub, which was easily the size of both his hands combined. The reason why it was so rare to find Fenris was because they had the ability to take on the size of a normal wolf. Though they could grow up to the size of a house, Fenris only do so in order to protect their pack. This thought made the man smile. His little Lady was cute _and_ dangerous. He had to be careful though, for Lady probably didn't even know she was changing sizes. She was just a cub, so she didn't yet have the training for controlling her size. He was definitely lucky to have found her.

He took a look outside the tent and noticed that it had stopped raining. He then unsealed a bag and poked a few air holes in it using a small utility knife. Then, he gently picked up Lady and placed her inside. He placed back his white mask over his face. It was time to move.

After quickly stepping out of his makeshift stone-tent, he stretched and left the camping site. He needed to get back to his home, his base of operations.

* * *

*****Outside Konoha*****

They had begun to move, naught but a few minutes after they'd done preparing, towards Mt. Ashagari. Jiraiya now carried with him a weapon that he hadn't used in a long time. It was the very same weapon that he saw Yenma pack. It wasn't until their departure that it was given back to him, for it had originally belonged to the sage almost two decades ago.

His weapon was a Gun staff, one that he'd been given to by his late sensei. It wasn't really all that special, besides the memories of his active ninja days with it. After his sensei died by Orochimaru's hands, Jiraiya didn't think that he'd use it again.

Unlike most staves, a Gun staff was presumed to be part of the ancient groups of weapons that were called the "grandfather of weapons". This group of weapons, though weren't at all modern, were still very practical in combat, which is why he'd used it.

The Gun staff in particular was short, compared to the Bo staff, and was more compact, which allows for better mobility indoors and outdoors. They were very hardy too, able to bend most blades at the appropriate angle.

"So, do you remember where he lives, Yenma?" Jiraiya asked, not averting his eyes from his path. They were both never really the type to run or jump from tree to tree. They actually preferred to walk than either of those things, but this was a special case. Yatsuro's life was in danger, and the needed to hurry. He was ashamed that he didn't know where his spy's lived, for they'd usually give him a place to meet. But he quickly shook away the guilt. There was nothing he could do. All he _could_ do was to rely on Yenma. Rely on him to lead the way and to protect him, should the need arise. He hoped the latter reason wouldn't happen.

"Yes," the Hunter nodded, also not looking away from where he stepped, "Mt. Ashagari is at the southern side of Lightning country. It shouldn't be too long of a run since Lightning country itself is just about north of Fire country. However, there are two countries in between Fire and Lightning, so I'd give this about half a week of travel at our current pace."

"Is something on your mind?" Jiraiya noticed the man's frown.

"No, it's all good. I asked Kiyoru to tell my daughter that I'd be back in about a week's time, and that he'd train her until I get back. She just started, so I'm worried if she could handle his training."

"What? He can train her? Is Kiyoru a hunter too?" the sage asked incredulously, his eyes now on his friend.

"Why of course. I wouldn't hire anyone who's not. In fact, probably most of the people that you saw inside the bar is either a hunter or somehow associated with a hunter. The rest are just ninjas."

"W-why?" the sage stuttered. What if the hunters planned to do some sort of uprising on Konoha? He knew very well that they'd do a lot, considering how powerful Yenma is. And what made it worse was that Yenma himself said that he was only average in power.

"Jiraiya, do you know what the true purpose of Roadhouses are?" the Hunter sighed for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day.

"T-there are more of them?"

"I'm guessing your answer is no. Well, how Roadhouses came to be was actually decided a very long time ago. The one that I own in Konoha has actually been there from even before the time when the late Shodaime Hokage raised Fire country as a hidden village," he looked at Jiraiya who was visibly nodding back at him.

"Us Hunters have been around longer than you think, Jiraiya. There are actually hundreds upon hundreds of Roadhouses, all with the same name of "The Roadhouse", like mine in the world today. They all serve the same purpose of supplying Hunters with a place to rest, a bite to eat, and a hell of a lot of 'toys' to play with."

Jiraiya smiled at that. So the people who mainly buy from the 'ninja' outlet store aren't actually ninjas, but Hunters. Some were probably both.

"But Yenma, why don't you go to other Roadhouses instead of living in and owning one?"

"Most of inactive Hunters, like me, own these establishments in order to help, and possibly even guide, some of the Hunters that _are _still active."

"Active?" the Sannin said in confusion, "so Hunters are part of an Order? Some sort of organisation?"

"To put it simply, yes," Yenma couldn't help but grin at Jiraiya's frightened expression. It wasn't everyday that the great and valiant Jiraiya looked like frightened little coward.

After increasing their already velocious speed, Yenma decided to choose his words a bit more carefully, "We Hunters all answer to one congregation, one high council. We call this group of people the _Conclave. _Whatever they say goes, but us Hunters can hunt whatever creature we want, whenever we feel like it. Personally, I don't mind the Conclave since they don't send me missions anymore. But when they did, it was only about once every month that they sent me missions. The high council is pretty powerful, kinda like Konoha's, only there is a lot more people in it because-"

"Because it works on a bigger scale, yes?" Jiraiya interrupted, which Yenma didn't mind.

"That's right. The conclave operates world-wide," he boasted proudly as he jumped over a large bush, "we are probably the most powerful, yet secretive organization in the world. Not many know about us Hunters, as you may know, but an even smaller amount of people know about the Conclave."

"Wait a minute," the sage stopped in his tracks, a deep frown marring his tattooed face.

The Hunter stopped after he realized he wasn't following Jiraiya anymore. He knew that Jiraiya didn't spot any danger, but he still turned towards the older man, hoping that he wasn't all too surprised about his profession.

"What?" the Hunter asked in mild confusion.

"Why are you telling me all this? Aren't you afraid that I'd go and tell Tsunade about you Hunters? Aren't you worried that someone may interrogate me about you?"

"No," Yenma answered simply as he walked towards Jiraiya in the middle of the forest's clearing, then placed his hand on Jiraiya's shoulder, "you are my friend, Jiraiya. You may be a spymaster, but you have good morals. Telling you about us Hunter wouldn't tip the great balance's scales at all."

But before, he could reply, Jiraiya heard something from behind some bushes.

"Wait!" Jiraiya hushed his friend, both of their bodies lowering their center of gravity, "I heard something."

"Me too," Yenma's brows furrowed as he unsealed a wakizashi beneath his cloak and drew it into the air, "it's coming from the bushes."

Taking out the his old Gun staff from the holster on his back, Jiraiya readied himself for whatever creature on the other side of the bushes.

* * *

*****Outside Ashagari Village*****

He was only a few minutes away from his home, but if he were to make this trip faster, he needed to take the faster route, and cut through the village to get to his home on the mountain. Lady, who was currently inside the bag, was tied across his body beneath his cloak. He needed to hurry not because he was damn tired, but because the cub could wake up at any minute. And if she did, he'd have people hounding him about why his pet wolf magically changed it's size. He was also aware that she could change sizes even in sleep, which gave him further incentive to hurry the hell up!

A few minutes had passed and he was already treading the gates of the big village. A lot of the buildings didn't get past two floors, but then again, this was only a logging community. Ashagari township's main source of income was from the wood it regularly exported to other villages. It was just like any of the other vassal-villages that surrounded Kumogakure. He could now hear the hustle and bustle as he reached the marketplace. The skies were still overcast, but it was still a mildly good day. But upon entering a narrow alleyway, he'd heard a few boys heading in his direction. Upon seeing the group, he defensively excreted a bit of killer intent towards the small gang.

"Oh, look here guys," the supposed leader cockily grinned, "it looks like this guy is trying to scare us."

"Let's kill this guy!" a few of the others chorused.

Although he was outnumbered, the Hunter knew he'd be able to withstand anything these guys threw at him. Besides, them ignoring his killer intent proved that they were only chuunin level.

As the men surrounded him, he stared each and every one of them down, assessing the flaws in their stances. He was never one to deny a fight, and he wouldn't stop now. If only they could see the broad smile beneath his mask.

He then laughed, "You're kidding me. Thieves? Are you guys dumb, or what? Haven't you at least wondered if I was a ninja or something?"

The Hunter's confidence aggravated the leader. And in retaliation, the man drew a single Katana, "We may be thieves, but we are trained ninja, you bastard! Even a Jounin can't touch this many chuunin at once! Guys, lets kick the shit out of this guy!"

The Hunter began to have a headache at the guy's constant yelling. He didn't drop his guard though, for each of the gang members pulled out some sort of bladed weapon. But before they could attack, he disappeared, leaving them all in confusion. Not a moment later, he reappeared, only he didn't wear his cloak or had with him the bag with Lady inside. Instead of his cloak, the men saw his white battle garb, but it didn't do anything to lessen their morale.

"Its too bad, really, that you all decided to target me. Even though I didn't plan on this, I'd still kick your asses!" the man settled into his stance excitedly.

Outraged by the unknown man's tone, one of the thieves raised his tanto overhead, and sprinted towards the Hunter. In retaliation, the Hunter bursted forth, bringing his left hand to intercept the first thief's vertical slash, while his right hand struck the man's throat. He didn't snap the windpipre, because he wanted the least amount of death as possible. The one rule that each Hunter was supposed to follow, on top of not harming the balance, was to never harm a human. But, he knew that the option of snapping the thief's throat was well within his ability. Once the man was unconscious, the rest of the thieves charged. The Hunter didn't care if they did, for the alley was too small for them all to attack at the same time. In fact, the place was so small, that the alley worked as a choke point, forcing all the bandits to attack one by one. He then realized that he needed to hurry, for the little Lady might wake up at any second and would cause a commotion in the village.

A second thief charged the Hunter. He brought his blade to the side to strike with a horizontal slash at the masked stranger. The Hunter countered by ducking and grabbing the man's leg. And with a sharp pull, the thief hit the ground hard. The Hunter chose the sadistic path and locked the man's heel, twisting it until he heard a sickening snap, followed by a painful scream. The Hunter smiled from beneath his mask. Seeing an opening, the third thief aimed his straight sword towards the Hunter's stomach, but the Hunter blocked by pulling the screaming man's leg, using him as a human shield. Unfortunately for the thief, the sword pierced his crotch.

Amidst the bloody cries of pain, the Hunter chuckled not too sincerely, "Whoops, is that my fault?"

He let go of the second thief's leg, and grabbed the third's armed hand before the man could attempt another strike. The masked Hunter disarmed him and then pulled the guys head towards his already rising knee. And for good measure, he went back to the thief's formerly armed hand and effectively broke the thief's wrist. The remaining bandits were astonished to see their three comrades fall, and cringed when they saw the third thief's arm twist full-circle. Thinking that the masked man couldn't defend himself against multiple opponents, two of the thieves charged him, each with a knife in hand. Laughing, the Hunter stomped onto the tanto that was dropped from the first guy, causing the small blade to whip into the air, spinning. He grabbed it just in time to block a synchronized attack from the two gang members. While still in a standstill, the masked Hunter stepped towards the one standing to his right and side-kicked him in the stomach, effectively lifting the thief into the air and into a wall. The man limply crumpled into the ground. Unconsciousness claimed his wretched form.

While the Hunter was busy kicking his friend into a wall, the other thief who was left at the standstill tried to chop at the Hunter's torso. However, the masked man was too fast. The Hunter used the momentum from the kick to execute a spinning back-fist right before the bandit could land his strike. The Hunter then stabbed the man in the arm with the tanto, and pinned him to a brick wall. Crimson warmth dripped from the thief's arm, and the Hunter let go of the weapon so the man could hopefully die of blood loss peacefully without looking at his killer. This technically didn't count as breaking the rules since he didn't finish the guy off. And besides, it wasn't guaranteed that the bandit would die.

The Hunter then wondered if these "chuunin" had any skill with jutsus. Ironically, he heard someone behind him chanting and launching at him some sort of lightning jutsu. He back-flipped at the last second, narrowly dodging the lightning bolt . He unsealed a single kunai and whipped it towards the jutsu's caster, at the apex of his flip.

When he landed back on the ground, he heard more cries of pain, for he pinned the man's foot to the ground. The thief tried to clutch at the kunai, trying to free himself of being pinned. However, he didn't get the chance because a strike to his temple caused him to black out.

"Lights out," the Hunter said before settling back into a relaxed stance, "anyone else wants to go to sleep?"

But there were no replies. He chuckled when he realized that all the thieves were neutralized, on the ground, battered and broken.

Laughing once more, he took a quick breath before body-flickering onto a rooftop. It was there that found the bag with Lady inside. He checked to see if the Fenrir cub was sleeping just in case. He tied it once again to his torso, then flicked back on his favourite cloak.

Jumping down into the alleyway, where the bandits lay motionless, he continued to trek towards his home.

* * *

*****Fire Country Border*****

As he watched Yenma dashing towards the bushes, Jiraiya began to call forth his sage powers just in case whatever was behind the bushes was something they could handle. He closed his eyes, feeling the warm power surge throughout his burly form. Although his eyes were closed, he could see a full three hundred and sixty degrees around him, even things from miles away. Or at least the life force of every living thing within his range. However, what he saw next perplexed the sage, for thing behind the bush had a chakra signature he'd seen before. Unfortunately, he couldn't put his thumb on it. Who was this stranger? A sudden realization came to him. Opening his eyes, he stopped using sage powers and jumped over the bush. He prayed to god that Yenma didn't yet attack.

"Wait!" he desperately roared as he saw Yenma stalk towards a dark figure, "don't attack! It's-"

When he landed on the ground, he saw Yenma pounce on a young man's form. The young man, who wore black, tattered robes, managed to escape Yenma's vice-like grip.

"-Naruto!" Jiraiya cried when he saw the fourteen year old run away from him and Yenma, but had ultimately failed to do so.

The Yenmaki unsealed his zweihander, a monster of a blade, and poised it towards the blonde's sweaty neck. The toad sage couldn't move as his friend was just about to kill what appeared to be his former student.

* * *

**Author's note: Wasn't that great? In the show, Supernatural, Hunters don't act around a central government. No, they operate in a much more hectic way. I wanted the Hunters in my story to work in a united way, kind of like Jedis and Texas Rangers, so I know gave them a sort of High Council, the Conclave. This chapter is more of a filler, since not much progresses in the storylines. I tried to add in a decent fighting scene that shows off the mysterious Hunter's unarmed prowess. I modelled him after my friend, who spends most of his time learning Japanese Jujutsu and Krav Maga, which are deadly self-defense styles. In the next chapter, Naruto will finally meet the Hunters and starts his training. And guess what, you finally get to know their names! The offer still stands, whoever guesses who the mysterious hunter is modelled after in the show "Supernatural", gets a prize. This prize is a few spoilers for this story in terms of storyline. R&R!**

**P.S. Because holidays are starting, and now that my hard semester of school is over, I plan to post stories every two weeks. Because I didn't have the time to update earlier, I got to make a HECK of a lot of rough notes. Right now, I'm at chapter 21 of this story. If you look at my profile, you could see that I have quite a few story ideas, but they are all in their developing stages. Lets just hope that next semester isn't as hectic as the first!**

**P.S.S. My offer still stands. If you want Naruto to battle with any Supernatural creature, be it a werewolf or vampire, just tell me and I'll try to work it out. Just mail me via personal message and I'll do what I can. Your opinion matters to me, and if you REALLY want Naruto to fight a certain creature, then I'll try to meet your needs.**


	4. Chapter 4 Welcome To The Family

**Author's Notes: Okay, so this chapter came out a lot later than I expected, but I promise to post every two weeks from now on. I promise. Let me remind you that this is the last chapter until Naruto's training. This is a pretty long chapter, as it was actually supposed to be two, but I condensed them into one. Now, without further adieu, let's read!**

**Diclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I DO own my OC's and original concepts. If I were Kishimoto, I'd at least make Sasuke look a little- well, a LOT manlier. The dude looks like a women while she's PMS'ing!**

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* * *

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Even after a gruellingly long trek, especially after waking up with little to no chakra and energy, Naruto endured like the champion that he was destined to be. The fourteen year-old settled for nothing less, after all. After spending time in what was literally a hell-hole, the blonde matured. It was in Hell that he found all his misgivings, all his imperfections. And he hated each and every one of them. Hopefully, his time with the Hunters will make him stronger. He had thought quite a bit about the angel's proposal to him. He understood the grave message that Castiel tried to make sense of. He knew very well that the world needed him, and that he had time to prepare. But how much time? Steeling himself to travel north-eastwards, the boy moved on, ignoring the burning sensation in his legs. He estimated that reaching Lightning country would only take a few days of travel, so he needed some sort of protection. The type of protection and how he'd get it was beyond him, but he needed to work it out before something unfortunate happens. If he were to continue to travel at his currently slow pace, then he was bound to encounter thieves. His chakra and his energy were coming back to him at an amazing pace, despite the fact that the fox was now where it belonged. In Hell. It wasn't long until he travelled at full speed.

Noticing that his chakra was at least half capacity, he jumped up into a tree and began using the chakra to hop from branch to branch. It felt weird now that the burden of the fox was gone, but he welcomed this new feeling. He even noticed that he had just as much chakra as he did before death. Probably even more. Could this be result of the fox leaving him? Shouldn't he have less chakra than he did in his past life rather than having exponentially more? But the boy didn't dwell in those thoughts, for he was now smiling at the nostalgia of what he considered flight. Oh, how he missed the luxury of feeling the wind caress his face. It was one of the things that he thirsted for during his confinement in Hell. There was only one more thing that he craved for, besides using his chakra to travel from tree to tree. This craving of his had spurred a question in him. Did they sell ramen in Lightning Country?

As he dashed from branch to rustling branch, he grew tired of such conventional means of travel. Also, he wanted to get a better view of the forest that he was bounding through. With one quick push of his chakra, he'd catapulted himself up past the thick canopies and into open air. He was truly in flight, for not only was he whipping through clean, open air, but he had escaped the confines of Hell. And it felt good. It wasn't long before he'd begun falling. It didn't worry him, for he'd applied enough chakra into his thinly-soled feet to help him walk on the green sea of leaves without falling past the thick canopy. This was a much better way to travel.

It was soon that his senses allowed him to notice two distinct chakra signatures, both of them equally large in quantity. He then let himself fall past the leaves and landed on the soft ground without a sound. He spotted a large bush and hid in it, trying to conceal his chakra. However, he knew that these two ninjas must've been Jounins. Them noticing his presence was bound to happen. He hoped that they'd think he'd be weak enough to leave alone. He was wrong.

The next thing he saw was a man with long, brown hair jumping into the air. The man didn't appear to be a Jounin, but he damn well felt like one. The man unsealed what looked like a greatsword and chased the poor blonde down with it. Naruto was soon in the man's grip, after hearing a familiar voice shout out his name. He had no time to look at who that person was, for the man with the greatsword looked like he was just about to kill him. He needed to get away.

With a great show of courage, the blonde transferred chakra to his hands and pried the man's hands from his collar. Upon landing, he sprinted away from them even though he knew that such an act was futile. Naruto looked back and saw Jiraiya, his old master. Surely his sensei would help him. Right? His hope was extinguished when he saw the long-haired man, now in between him and the sage, charging towards him with the monster of a blade poised in an intimidating fashion. The man easily outpaced the blonde, it was inevitable that the man would soon kill him. Upon the various thoughts racing through Naruto's mind, only a few recurred. Such thoughts were heavily centered around why Jiraiya wasn't helping, why the man was trying to kill him in the first place, and how he could escape the offending person's attack. As soon as Yenma sunk his blade into Naruto's back, the last thing the Hunter or the sage had expected had happened. Once the blade pierced Naruto in the spine, the blonde exploded in smoke, catching everyone in the vicinity off guard. The blonde ninja's actions were proved useless, as the blonde appeared not too far from the Hunter, albeit he was closer to Jiraiya then Yenma. After escaping, the blonde tried to find something - anything - to protect himself with. He had no weapon or tool with him, but only one thing was certain. He couldn't die just yet. No, he forbade himself from dying, at least until he'd fulfilled his promise. He made a pact with Castiel. He promised the angel that he'd do as the angels asked of him to not only save himself, but to save the world from demons and the like.

Shaking himself from his stupor, Jiraiya used this chance to act, shielding the boy with his body before his friend could do anymore harm.

"What are you doing, Jiraiya?" the man spoke, not believing that his friend would interfere with his duty.

"This is Naruto, my old student!" the man growled defensively as he hugged Naruto even closer, "or have you forgotten that?"

"Jiraiya," the man muttered venomously, "this child is not who you believe him to be! Naruto - he died almost a year ago. This thing is a shifter! He chose this form to trick you, you old fool. This…this creature is not human! Now please stand aside and let me do my job before he escapes and harms any more people"

"I refuse!" the old sage retaliated, using his sage powers to reflect his conviction, "I will not allow you to hurt him."

The Hunter sighed seethingly as his friend picked the boy, who marvelled at Jiraiya's powers, up and held him close, "Jiraiya, Naruto died almost a year ago-"

"I don't care!" the elder sage grew tired of his friend speaking condescendingly to him, "there is an explanation to this-"

"There is, actually-" the boy tried to say before he too was interrupted.

"Silence, you worm." The Hunter spat angrily before turning back to his friend. " Jiraiya, this boy doesn't have the whiskers that the Naruto you knew had."

"As I was trying to explain," the blonde glared back at the Hunter, "there is an explanation. Now please, don't wave that damn sword at me, you asshole! And damnit, you old pervert! Protect me! Or have you been reading too much porn to understand what I'm saying?"

Though he smiled at how his former student hadn't changed much, Jiraiya was still hesitant about the boy, "My friend is right, you know. How do we know that you're Naruto, my former student, and not a shape shifter, like how he described?"

"I'm not lying when I say that there really is an explanation for this," Naruto started after seeing the man seal his greatsword into a scroll, "but lets find a place to sit before I explain to you my situation."

"Fine," the man said, "until you prove to us that you are, in fact, Uzumaki Naruto, you are our prisoner until further notice."

The blonde sighed at that, but the man continued, "We'll set up camp soon, so you better explain to us your 'story' then."

Finding himself trapped, the blonde didn't have any other option but to nod back in agreement. He'd have to tell them about his time in Hell and how he came to be. However, he couldn't tell them about his encounter with Castiel, or about the so-called gifts that the angel gave to him. Though he was in a situation that he didn't really like, he would soon have to tell them what they needed to know in order to get their trust.

* * *

*****Elsewhere*****

Thunder roared and dry lightning clashed like swords late in the evening, alerting everyone in Lightning country that a thunderstorm was on it's way . Such was the norm in this proud country, especially in the Ashagari mountain range, the tallest collection of mountains in the North side of Lightning country. These mountains stood with such majesty and isolated glory that it was a popular spot for ninjas to train in at the base of the mountain. Eventually, the ninjas there raised a village, named it after the man who founded it, and eventually named the mountains after that ninja as well. At the mountain range's base was a valley where the village stood defiantly to the harsh elements of the environment, a village called the Ashagari Township. It was a fairly small village, with over ten thousand strong. Though the majority of the citizens were ninja, very few were of Jounin rank. But of course, the village wasn't large enough to have it's own Kage, so they readily relied on the Raikage of Kumogakure's guidance, making the Township a vassal village.

Within the outskirts of the village, near the base of Mt. Ashagari, the closest mountain to the city and also the tallest mountain in the range, stood a solitary mansion, as grey as the mountain's eroded surface. There was no snow in the area, due to the low altitude, but there were signs that snow would fall there should the right season come. This mansion was regarded by the ninja population of the village as the place where the last living Ninomiya clan members lived. The Ninomiya clan once bore great Shinobi, until the clan had suddenly met it's mysterious and untimely demise, that is. Many citizens visited this mansion - or rather the building right beside the mansion, because the side building not only served as the owners' weapons cache, but doubled as a weapons shop as well. This side building, where the citizens normally bought their wares, was thusly named, The Anvil.

And although a lot of people visited The Anvil, it was rare that they'd go into the mansion. It was said that the mysterious men that lived inside, including the shop's clerk, were very powerful. In fact, the main reason why people avoided going into the dull, grey mansion in the first place were because of the odd things that happened there. They'd even say that some of the loud noises coming from the estate's grounds were the result of one or two of the inhabitants training. But even so, people paid no attention to these occurrences, for no one has even stepped foot beyond The Anvil. It was as if the owners purposely placed the store in between the village and their home for secrecy's sake. Truly, the inhabitants, including the last two Ninomiya clan members, were a secretive bunch. Not much knew about the last of the Ninomiya other than the fact that they were brothers. Also, it was known that both no longer held their ranks as ninja anymore, for reasons unknown.

One such brother, a tall man in jet black, squatting in front of a smoldering fireplace inside the mansion's quiet room. He had a strong, squared jaw. It was bristly, hinting that he'd forgotten to shave that morning. He had large, brown eyes that were full of concentration, focusing as he was making the fire. His equally brown hair whirled as he turned back to his seat, satisfied with his handiwork. His black gi was unbuttoned, having just finished his harsh training. It was routine for him to bury himself in the warmth of this room should the weather turn dull. The quiet room, like in any other luxurious room mansion, allowed for the inhabitants to sit back, read, and cozy up. However, to the ones living in _this_ mansion, the quiet room was the place for people to study, brood, and reflect.

Though the occupants of the manor were all male, the entire room was designed as if by a professional. The couches were all layered with expensive, black leather. The fireplace, the room's only source of warmth, was grand and magnificent, as well as it's mantle piece. But the most notable feature of this room were the heads of the many creatures that they'd hunted over the years. The Ninomiya who sat in front of the fireplace - from his place dangerously close to it's flames, as if challenging the element itself, had known that a storm was brewing. Many of Lightning country's citizens, after all, learned the skill of predicting the weather. They had to in order to survive, to make their living. He then opened a little piece of literature that he'd gotten from the archive in the basement, of which was entitled, _The Intricacies of Stealth_. A content sigh could be heard as he slouched into the rocking chair, studying the contents of every page, every hand-written line that the small book had to offer. He, after all, loved to knowledge, for it was power. After about a minute of reading, the burly man placed the book in a pocket that wasn't there. He forgot that he, nor his brother, nor anyone else living in the manor, no longer needed their Jounin flak jackets. They weren't ninja anymore, but Hunters. They were people of the highest, most secretive order.

He put the book down, placing it on a nearby footstool as he stood up. He was hungry and sore from training, so he began on his way to the kitchen. As he exited the room, he quietly wandered through the large, marble-tiled corridors of the manor. As soon as he entered the kitchen, the kitchen's backdoor -which lead to rest of the mansion's property, including the animal stable, had opened abruptly.

Thunder rolled and lightning flashed just as the it opened, not allowing him to see male figure who entered the kitchen, causing the burly man's senses to go on high alert. The man wearing black, however, didn't worry, for he knew just who it was. It was his big brother.

"Kurou," the burly man looked over at his older, yet shorter, brother, "how did your mission turn out? Did you get the demon?"

"Sort of," the grey-clad Hunter answered back with his deep voice as he sealed his cloak into a scroll, "I found him, but I didn't exorcise him. He got away, Laito…He got away."

Realising his brother's distress, the burly Hunter pulled out a seat for Kurou as his brother was just about to explain to him how it all turned out. Still, Laito couldn't help but think that his older brother was keeping something from him. And why did he come through the backdoor?

"How did he escape, bro? And how is Yatsuro-sensei?"

"Gone." The older Hunter said emptily as he removed his ninja mask, revealing short, brown hair, a few shades lighter than Laito's, and hazel eyes. "He's gone, but he's now in peace."

"How?" the taller Hunter's breaths grew shallower in grief, "Did the bastard kill him?"

"No," Kurou voiced solemnly, knowing that though Yatsuro was his teacher, Laito still saw the man as a friend, "he died just a few days ago. It turns out that we were sent to hunt the same Demon, but the son of a bitch killed the old man before I could even help. The demon possessed him, Laito. Used my teacher's body to fight me back."

"Oh, man…" Laito placed his hand on Kurou's back comfortingly, "But if Yatsuro-sensei died before he was possessed, then how was he possessed in he first place? Only the living can be possessed."

"I know, I know." the older brother stood up as another Hunter had entered the room. "Hey, Genma. How's business?"

"Just fine," the ex-Konoha ninja nodded to his friend. Although he used to be a Konoha ninja, he tried to keep it a secret from the other Hunters. A year had passed since his supposed death, and he wanted to start on a new slate. A better slate. Currently, he was now working as The Anvil's teller, putting his skills in not only using blades and other weapons, but making them, into good use. It was there that the brown-haired man was able to find his true calling and become a Hunter like the rest of the men in the mansion.

"Closed the store because of the storm. It may not be raining, but the thunder is enough to scare away the villagers. How was the mission, by the way?"

"He failed," Laito voiced bluntly. He then told the ex-Jounin what he was told, despite his brother's protests.

"Damn," Genma cursed, fiddling with the senbon needle in his mouth while he frowned in concern, "what happened?"

"As soon as I found the demon, I found that it was using Yatsuro's body as a vessel. And yeah, I know that only living bodies can be used as shells, but the Demon had some major voodoo on his side." The short-haired brunette, who wanted this all to get over with, waited a beat before he continued. "We fought, I trapped him in a ward, he laughed, I got pissed, he escaped, then I went and buried Yatsuro's body. Happy?"

Knowing that his friend didn't want to dwell, Genma went to close the backdoor, which was still open from when his friend had come through. But as soon as Kurou noticed him do so, the Hunter yelled desperately, "W-wait! Don't go outside!"

Confused, Genma replied, "I was just going to close the door…"

The look on Kurou's face was reminiscent of the time he got caught loitering in front of a nudie bar as a kid.

"Kurou," Laito's eyes narrowed, "why did you come in through the back?"

"Umm," the man started to sweat, "I was so grief-stricken I didn't know where I was going?"

But just before Laito could accuse his older brother of lying, another man, the final inhabitant of the manor, entered through the backdoor. His name was Tanaki Aobi, Laito's and Genma's teacher in the art of the _Hunt_, just as how Yatsuro was Kurou's teacher.

"Hey, kids." The stocky man scratched his greying, black locks as he held a bag in his hands, only to intensify Kurou's horror. "Guess what I found hiding in the stables. It's a genuine Fenrir cub! She looks to be a newborn too. This girl's gonna be a killer when she grows up!"

Smirking at his brother's visibly shaking form, Laito couldn't help but tease him, "So, brother, do you have any clue how it got in the stables?"

Genma, as slow and as lazy as ever, chose to grab himself a sandwich from the fridge before getting caught in any of this drama. He didn't want to be there when Kurou blows. He also didn't want to be the butt of Laito's schemes, since Laito enjoyed getting everyone involved every time there was drama. And as for Aobi - well, the old man was just an old man, as powerful as he may be.

"Fine," the white-clad Hunter gave up fighting his brother's accusations, "I found her in some bushes. She was apparently lost. The battle I had during the mission must've scared away all the creatures in the area. I doubt the mother would come back for Lady."

"Lady?" Laito gasped in mock surprise, "is my brother getting soft on us?"

"Break it up, you two," Aobi, their elder, sighed, "I don't want anymore fights under this roof, okay? And Kurou, do you even know _how_ to take care of a Fenrir cub?"

"W-well," the once proud man stuttered at his friend's questioning, "I don't. But I could learn! I could be the only one that takes care of her. Besides, her mom ain't gonna come back for her so-"

"And how do you know that? Boy, if you're wrong then were screwed. Fenris are a race to be feared. If they get provoked, then their enemies are goners."

"I'm not wrong, old man. I'm sure she's alone," the Hunter answered strongly.

Aobi could only sigh at the kid's recklessness. "Fine, but I suspect that you'll do all the responsibilities, yeah?"

Kurou smiled, and then nodded, in response to the old man.

"Good. Now, her name is Lady, right?" Aobi asked the younger man, who nodded in answer, "I like it, but life with that mutt is gonna be tough. You'd better learn to handle her. Fast. I hear that Fenrir cubs get reckless when they aren't trained."

* * *

*****Fire Country*****

Yenma had taken a deep breath before blowing a few dry bundles of tinder on fire. Though he didn't know any fire jutsu, he was used to surviving out in the wild like he was right now. Carefully protecting the small flame, he slowly made his way to a stack of dry wood, then laid the bundle of flame into kindling, creating something that has remained a constant out in the wild and in humans' hearts. Something so prehistoric, that man was known to use it all throughout the ages. Fire.

While the Hunter was setting up his tent, Jiraiya was scanning the blonde ex-ninja with a diagnostic jutsu he'd picked up from Tsunade. So far nothing was wrong. In fact, the boy had been gaining chakra at a steady, but constant, speed as well as his energy. He didn't quite know what was going on, but he knew that a few questions were in order.

"Okay, Naruto," the Sage stopped his jutsu and wiped the sweat from his tired arms, "it doesn't seem like anything is wrong. "

"Thanks, Sensei," the boy knew that both men wanted to pop the question, so he decided to make this as easy as possible to explain, "you checking my vitals really helped, especially since I cant rely on the Kyuubi to heal me anymore…"

That statement had actually raised questions in Jiraiya's mind. Questions that he knew Naruto would refuse answering to if asked. Hopefully, his friend wouldn't do anything that would make them lose Naruto's trust. If the boy were to be suspicious of them, they wouldn't get the answers they wanted.

A stick falling into the ground could be heard as the Hunter turned towards the boy, "What do you mean by that, son? What has happened to you?"

Jiraiya cursed beneath his breath at the man's idiocy. Though the Hunter was infinitely wiser than Jiraiya, despite being younger, the sage was more adequate in the interrogation department. Fighting and bashing people's heads were more of Yenma's specialty. A layer of sweat now formed under Jiraiya's chin as Yenma continued to ask more questions. So much for tact, he thought. Apparently, subtlety was not in Yenma's vocabulary.

"What happened to me, you ask?" the boy, after a moment of considering his words, said aloud. He could see both men now sitting at the edge of a log, waiting in anticipation.

"Well to put it simply, I died," he saw Yenma roll his piercing, brown eyes. The man, he guessed, wasn't very patient.

"We know that," the Hunter sighed irrationally, "but what happened after? When Jiraiya sensed your chakra earlier with his sage powers, he sensed just that. Your powers, not the Kyuubi's. Can you explain that?"

"I was getting to that, umm?" he didn't quite know who the man was or what he was called.

"Tenmaki. Tenmaki, Yenma. Former jounin of Konoha."

"I see," the boy continued to where he left off, "well, when I died, I went straight to Hell, but not because I, myself, am an evil person. No, I was sent to that, well, _hellhole_ because of the damn fox. The fucking thing's evil deeds far outweighed the good that I did in my passed life. It tipped the balance, you may say. It was because of the fox that I spent, what felt like, an eternity down in the pit."

"An eternity?" the sage questioned, his face scrunched in anger of the fact that Naruto, as innocent as he was at the time, was forced to go to Hell, " you've only been dead for a bit over a year. That's just-"

"Impossible?" the former ninja interjected, his brow jerked in question, "this is Hell we're talking about. A completely different plane of existence than this. Even though I have a body of a child, my soul matured like a mother-fucker there. I lost count of how many years it felt down there after about a few dozen had past."

The two men marvelled at the boy's composure. Though he'd been down there for a year, he had the calmness, and the wisdom, of an elder. But besides that, if he was telling the truth, then that would mean that the boy had suffered a great deal.

Realising that he had the men's attention, Naruto guessed that he didn't need to lie to them in order to keep the Angels and his mission a secret. He just needed to limit the information that he'd later give them. For now, keeping them on the down-low was his top priority. He'd only tell them the entire truth when the time was right. And deep in his heart, he knew that the time to reveal was far off from now. Very far. His other priority was to get to Mt. Ashagari, and after learning of their mission from Jiraiya, he quickly learned that these two idiots were his ticket there.

"But how did you come back to life, Naruto?" the old sage leaned in on his seat, an interrogative look on his wrinkled complexion.

"I-I don't know. Sorry. I just don't know."

"Its alright," the elderly man sighed, "I didn't expect that you'd remember everything about your stay. Sometimes, the human brain forces itself to forget the horrible things that you go through. I guess it is a blessing that you forgot how you escaped from death's clutches."

The boy nodded, smiling underneath his breath that his former sensei didn't sense his lie.

"What was it like in Hell, son?" Yenma queried, "are there Demons down there? Like the scriptures say?"

"Yeah, actually," the blonde's blue eyes widened in surprise, "how did you know that?"

"What I will tell you next is an SS-class secret," the man's face narrowed, looking for any signs of deceit in the boy's face, "and let me remind you that the punishment for revealing this secret to other people is death. Not by the Hokage, but the people I work for. And the people I work for have powers stretching far beyond any border. You cannot escape us."

"I'm sorry, Yenma, but I've been dead before. Its not a pretty experience, let me tell you. And with that said, do you really think that I want to repeat that by breaking this oath of silence?"

"No, I suppose not. Good, good," he nodded, "well, the reason why I know about Demons, and creatures of the like, is because I am a Hunt-"

"A Hunter-nin?" the boy almost shouted, "I don't see how a Hunter-nin could know about-"

"No, damnit!" the man's patience, or rather his impatience, had finally caught up to him, "Don't get us Hunters mixed up with hunter ninja. As a Hunter, I am an expert in all things supernatural, and therefore am not a hunter-nin."

"Okay, okay," the boy raised his hands in defense, realising that this man was a risk to anger. According to Castiel, Hunters like Yenma were the ones able to help him learn how to fight the supernatural. If he were to get Yenma's trust, then getting to Mt. Ashagari would a piece of cake.

"Anyways, where did I leave off? Oh, yes. Right after I was sent to Hell, Kyuubi and I separated because the seal wore off. I heard one of the Demons mention that he was a sort of 'Lord' and thus was to live in the deepest depths of Hell. Good for him," he spat out his words heatedly, "that damn fox deserves what he gets down there. But yeah, that explains why I no longer have Kyuubi in me. See?"

He lifted his black ceremonial shirt, revealing a bare stomach. Once again, both men were stunned, leaving Naruto grinning in amusement. So far, both men weren't suspicious of him keeping some secrets anymore. Good, the plan was going along quite smoothly.

"That actually makes sense." The toad Sannin commented after the longest time. "It would explain why I didn't feel the Kyuubi's presence. However, I'm curious about the abilities you currently have. We'd later need to find out if you still have the regenerative abilities that the fox's chakra gave you. Also, I think its obvious that you no longer have the same amount of chakra that you did before you died, but I think you can overcome that. Besides, less chakra just means more control, right?"

"Yes," Naruto nodded in agreement, preferring to keep the fact that he had even _more _chakra than before a secret. "I also don't have to worry about getting pissed off during fights, since the Kyuubi's chakra normally drove me out of control."

"Umm," the Hunter poked his slightly older friend sharply as the man was getting off track, "Jiraiya, the last thing we need to think about is his ninja career."

"What?" the old sage dumbly pondered, "how come?"

"The boy just can't 'pop' in on Konoha. They'd completely rebuke him, reprimand him, accuse him of treason! Especially lady Hokage. Imagine what she'd do to him should she find him. She'd target him as an 'imposter' of the ninja that she saw dead exactly one year ago. She isn't the type to listen when she's in a fit. You, Jiraiya, of all people, know that."

"You're exactly right," Jiraiya frowned, crossing his arms in thought as he stared at the boy's slightly different features. Naruto was taller than he was when he died. Thinner too. The boy lost a good amount of baby fat and he was already growing his whiskers, not the ones tattooed to his cheek of course.

"What should we do with you, brat," the sage sighed.

Despite being insulted, and feeling very awkward at the first human contact he'd had since forever, he couldn't repress his smile when he felt the nastolgia of being called Jiraiya's nickname for him.

"Well, here's a suggestion," Yenma coughed, now playing with the fire, willing it to take the shapes in his mind, "why doesn't Naruto choose? I mean, in the end, it is his life, and not ours. He makes decisions for his destiny, right Naruto?"

"Yes, Tenmaki-san," the boy acquiesced. It was ironic though. Not too long ago, an angel tried to preach to him of his destiny, but here was a Hunter, a person of great strength and wisdom, telling him that he had a choice, that he had a say in his path.

But Naruto didn't yet know, Jiraiya thought, that destiny or fate was not written in stone, that it was only a guide leading a person down the right path. But again, he didn't know because he was still too young, and yet not young at the same time. He had immensely grown mentally during his stay in the underworld, but he was still just a boy in heart. It was saddening how the former Jinchuuriki had the chance to have a normal childhood, and yet could never be a child again because he lost his innocence in Hell. It truly was the Kyuubi's last curse.

"I guess it's best that I lay low, for now," the boy waited another moment until he could continue, "I think I should just train somewhere, out of the sight of any Hidden village in order to avoid the Akatsuki. I need to train somehow without them knowing or seeing. Right now, the Akatsuki probably doesn't know about me going back to life. Most likely, my death might've caused them to disband, but I'll still be alert for them."

"That's it!" Yenma stood up, surprising the other two in so doing, "Why don't you become a Hunter, Naruto? You've already seen your fair share of the demons, so all you need is to learn how to defend against them. Its not the perfect life, but I'm sure it is a better option than training by yourself. With Hunter training, Naruto, you can become powerful. Powerful enough to smite down any, and every, supernatural creature you set eyes upon. And don't worry about laying low, son. Hunters are the most secretive of orders. Even the Akatsuki doesn't know about us."

This is now or never, Naruto thought. This was the time to take initiative or else he'd lose his chance.

"Really, you'd teach me? Is it okay to start Hunter training so far into my training as a ninja?" he said, confusion in his deep, sapphire eyes.

"Don't worry, son," the Hunter placed his hand gently on the blonde's head, "a Hunter's training is almost parallel to a ninja's, given that it is more specialized and advanced. However, I cannot teach you, but I know who can."

"Who?" the boy asked, he looked as if he were a lost puppy.

"Naruto," the sage decidedly said, after being quiet for quite a while, "Yenma and I were sent on a mission, by Tsunade-hime, to find out about a situation in a Hunter friend of mine's home. Though we suspect that he's dead, we're pretty sure that one of the other Hunters in the place is more than enough to teach you."

"Are you serious?" the blonde almost yelled, mentally laughing at his manipulation skills, "where are they?"

"It is at the base of a mountain in Lighting country, two days of travel from here, in the outskirts of a vassal village called Ashagari township."

Naruto was currently jumping inside his head at his silent victory of words. Thanks to a little quick thinking, he now didn't have to travel alone, to a place he didn't even know existed, while he was extremely low on chakra.

And speaking of chakra, "Hey, sensei? How is it that you sensed my chakra? What are these sage powers of yours?"

"Oh, that?" the old man looked surprised, "it's actually just an added benefit of the toad contract, to put it simply. If you want, I can get one of the elderly toads to teach you how to do it."

"No, I'm good," the blonde shrugged, ignoring the man's disappointed look.

"What?" Jiraiya said, flabbergasted at the boy's show of stupidity, "The sage form can greatly enhance your abilities! You can be-"

"No," the boy waved the man off, "I've already died, so my contract with the frogs has been relinquished already-"

"But you can-"

"If I get the frog contract again, then it'll be easier for the Akatsuki to track me down." Naruto huffed in frustration, "I'm sorry, sensei, but I need to do this by myself, okay? Besides the Hunters, I cannot have any outside help. If I do get help from you, your disappearances will be noticed every time you train me. It'll compromise my cover."

"Okay," the sage smiled in defeat. The boy had truly grown up. But hopefully, he'd still give him a chance to help him every now and then. Naruto was his godchild, after all.

Wanting to change the subject, Naruto casually asked, "So, how is the old hag?"

"Uh, Tsunade-hime? She's been doing fine," the man's brow furrowed in obvious apprehension, "but your death has really hit her hard. But otherwise, she's doing fine. And as for Konoha, well, they've all mourned for your death. Your funeral was just as sad as Sarutobi's. Quite the eye-opener, eh?"

The boy shrugged. It didn't change anything. At all. He was too far into the world of the Hunter that he couldn't care less about his past life. But despite all that, he'd made promises, vows, and bonds. Although Konoha was important to him in a past life, it was still his old home.

"I have to focus on my training, right? I can't think about Baa-chan or anyone else in Konoha. After all, I've already vowed to protect them, and that's enough for me. As long as they're all okay then that's all that matters." Naruto said truthfully.

"That's quite true," the sage nodded proudly. He looked at his friend, who had also approved of the boy's morality. Although he had been in Hell for a little over a year, the boy didn't change much besides his maturity.

"Naruto," the sage couldn't help but ask, "why did you call Yenma 'Yenma-san', but not show me with as much respect as you did him?"

"That's simple," Naruto smirked, "because a pervert is a pervert!"

"You little brat!" the legendary ninja couldn't help but choke the poor boy. He had it coming, after all.

* * *

*****Lightning Country*****

All was loud in the Hunters' manor. Cracks of metal emanated from the anvil, and Kurou was sparring with Aobi, who was also Genma's and Laito's teacher, in an explosive display of power. But down in the lower floors of the manor, Laito had just finished his own training for the day in his personal dojo. Tired and out of chakra, he placed his bokken, a wooden training sword, into the weapons rack on the wall. He studied all his blades with care, his love for weapons growing with each passing day. He then studied the dojo, admiring how it's white walls and plain tatami mats were clean, though were slightly battered with use. His personal blades hung on the walls in rows, ranging from stout hidden daggers to long, curved swords.

After a long sigh, the tall brunette grabbed a towel from a basket beneath his bokken stands and untied the belt of his white training gi, revealing his sweaty upper body. He then exited the room, hugging the towel close as the coldness of the halls began to penetrate his skin, permeate his very bones in a chill. Suddenly he stopped, palming his face at his forgetfulness. He stepped back into the dojo and bowed before exiting again. It was tradition for any martial artist to show respect for their place of training, and tradition wasn't something that he'd normally forget. He'd had a lot of things on his mind, for he was worried for his brother's state of mind. Laito knew how close his brother was to Yatsuro, and it must have been heart-wrenching for his brother to see a demon possess him like he did. He must've felt even worse after having to bury his own master moments after their fight.

His head suddenly jerked towards a star-shaped seal on his left hand. It was blinking white. Usually it had meant that a messenger pigeon was on it's way from the high council. Perfect timing, too, since training was just about over. With slight tiredness in his step, he climbed a staircase that led upstairs, to ground level. And upon reaching the last few steps, he spotted Genma's headband-donned head moving towards the kitchen, probably aiming to go to the training grounds from beyond the kitchen's back door.

"Hey, Gen-san"

The man with the senbon needle in between his lips stopped suddenly and look over his shoulder and smiled, "Oh! Hey, man. Didn't see you there."

Laito chuckled, remembering the first time he'd seen Genma in person. The former Konoha ninja had shown up on their doorstep about a year and a half ago, right after the chuunin exams. Laito didn't know much about his life back in Konoha, but he did know that Genma faked his death in order to follow his father's footsteps and become a Hunter. At first, he was suspicious of the former jounin as to why he even knew their location in the first place. But it was later clarified that they were relatives, which had explained how Genma's father was a Hunter in the first place.

"Is it your turn to use the dojo, Gen-san?"

"What?" the gave a look of confusion, "No thanks. I actually finished training earlier this morning, so you don't need to worry. I actually came here about the mission. It's pretty laid back, from the way I see."

"Well then, can you get Kurou? I'm assuming that the mission scroll is in the tower."

"No, its in the shop," the pale-faced man sighed in dismay, his hands in his pockets out of habit, "the damn bird forgot where the tower was again. How old is it again?"

"Ryo-kun?" the taller man grinned, adjusting his gi after he hung the dirty towel on the railing of the stairs, "You'd be surprised if you knew."

Moments later, Laito stepped outside the back door after changing into his black ninja outfit. He headed towards The Anvil, excitement building up in his stomach with each step. They hadn't had a mission in a few weeks, so all they did was training to pass the time. To say that they were all itching for a fight was a true understatement. Finally, he could show his brother how much he improved and get at least a little respect. His thoughts were interrupted when his older brother joined him.

"Hey, bro." The shorter brother slapped Laito in the back endearingly. "Psyched for the mission? Wait, don't answer that. I already know the answer."

The younger brunette blew his long hair to the side in frustration, "What are you grinning about?"

"Who? Me?" Kurou pointed to himself, trying to look innocent, "I was just thinking about how I handed your master his ass during training! You should've seen it, man. The old man finally got what he deserved!"

"At least show him a little respect, will you?" Laito chastised.

"Ah, quit naggin', bitch," the white-clad Hunter waved his brother off, a bored expression on his lean face.

"Jerk," Laito muttered beneath his breath, knowing fully well that his brother had probably heard.

"I heard that," Kurou shook his head condescendingly, "seriously, we have to focus."

"Focus!" Laito yelled questioningly, turning his whole body around to stop his older brother in his tracks, "You're the one who loses focus, especially during missions!"

"Since when?" Kurou asked incredulously, standing up on the balls of his feet to meet his brother at eye-level.

"The reason why we lost our prey at the last hunt was because you were with that slut the whole night. I almost died!"

"Hold on there, grasshopper," Kurou mimicked Aobi mockingly, "to deny one's urges is to deny the very thing that makes us human!"

"Bullshit," the taller Hunter stalked towards the shop, his brother chuckling in his trail.

As soon as he opened the back door of The Anvil, Laito forgot all about his brother. The fact that the whole building was their own personal armoury enthralled him. Wordlessly, Laito headed towards the forge. On top of him running out of sealing scrolls, one of his favourite blades was getting dull. Also, he wanted to get Genma's opinion on chokutos versus ninjatos.

"W-wait up, bro!" Kurou rushed towards his younger brother, his hand on his cloak's hood as it was starting to fall off, "I hit a nerve, or something?"

About a minute later, they had both finished re-stocking on supplies and weapons. Because they didn't yet know the contents of their mission, they had to be prepared. After all, the one thing that helps a Hunter during a hunt or during a mission wasn't his skill, but his preparation. As they were waiting for Genma, Laito was admiring the warmth of the store. Ever since Genma came and took the post here, their income was getting bigger and bigger with each passing month. Business boomed the moment Genma was left in charge of _The Anvil_. He and Genma shared a common love for swords, so they bonded quickly, despite the suspicions they had for each other upon first meeting. But of course, Genma's ability to make weapons was just as impressive as his ability to use them in battle. The man was a wizard with the forge. Occasionally, the former ninja would find some way to improve their weaponry, making it easier for them to hunt the supernatural. In fact, it was Genma who made them their blessed weaponry, which was highly effective against anything considered "anti-holy".

"Genma! You're finally here! What took you so long, man?" Kurou chirped, pretending to be angry.

"Hey, Kurou," Genma smiled back at his friend, "I just told Aobi that you guys would be away for a mission. He told me to remind you guys to bring your Bestiaries this time."

"We didn't forget," Laito remarked, patting a scroll on his belt with the symbol of a book, "We couldn't find the mission scroll, so we were just waiting for you to tell us the mission."

"Really?" the needle-totting Hunter asked unsurprisingly, "that old-ass bird probably left with it. Anyways, you were supposed to head towards town and find out about a few - err, problems. Apparently, there have been a few deaths there recently."

"Really…" Kurou stated questioningly. "Then why didn't we know about this? It is our town, so shouldn't _we_ be the ones to receive news of this, and not the high council?"

"I don't know, man," Genma shrugged, "but that's beside the point. Its pretty dark outside, so you both better be careful."

When he saw both his friends start to head towards the township he remembered, "Oh, Laito! Wait up!"

He went towards a weapons rack, and fetched himself a bag before catching up to his fellow Hunters.

"Here, Laito. Its that ninjato that you've been asking for. I blessed it, too." Genma grinned.

"Seriously?" Laito's mouth opened in awe as the large man slipped the bag to reveal one of the most exquisite blades he'd ever seen, "I-its beautiful."

"Yeah. I know," the swords master replied with a bright smile, before heading back to the mansion, "don't have fun!"

"Damn," Kurou commented, he too admiring the blade's elegance.

"Finally, I got a new toy," Laito muttered softly, as he strapped on his mask, a light now in his eyes.

"Oh, boy…" The older brother sighed as he too pulled his mask over his head.

Without another word, they both took off into the night.

* * *

*****Hours Later*****

It had taken them a while, but the Hunters were just about done with their patrols. Even after several hours of searching for the so-called disturbance, they hadn't found anything at all. Their plan was to first scout through the edges of the village, then eventually making their way to the heart of the village, which was it's main plaza. The plaza was where most of the shops and agricultural specialists had their affairs. Though there were no houses nearby, the Hunters still had kept an eye out for any pedestrians.

They were now atop scaffolding, since they'd needed to keep a look out at the highest point of the area. Kurou, who had channelled chakra to his eyes, which of course allowed him to see in the dark, was now surveying the area.

"Anything?" the taller man quietly implored from his crouching form, his black cloak billowing ominously like a pirate's flag.

His brother shook his head in return, his body still, yet focused, like a gargoyle guarding it's castle. Laito recognized this as his brother being overprotective of the village. _Their_ village. Although they weren't born there, it was still their home, and no creature or deity would get past the two brothers, especially since they had a great love for their home.

Suddenly, the older brother held his hand up, signalling to his fellow Hunter that he'd heard something. Swiftly and silently, the two dove off of the scaffolding that they had been perching on, their contrasting black and white cloaks spreading wide like an eagle's wings. They landed on a smaller building with a soft thud, looking about as if they were surrounded by some sort of invisible entities. Though they didn't see anything, they advanced, leaving no trail behind - as experts should. Eventually, they came upon a noise. A distinct chittering of sorts. When they found the source of the noise, Kurou had slapped himself on the forehead. The sound came from two rats fighting over a bone.

But before Kurou could voice out his annoyance, Laito placed his hand on his brother's mouth, "It's a pelvis. Whatever left it here for the rats is probably what's behind the murders."

With his focus coming back, Kurou nodded back to his younger brother before they both separated, aiming to find the thing behind the murders.

Laito was the first to spot the killer. Or killers. There were at least sixty of them, all shambling in between and beneath the many stalls and vendors of the vassal-village's central plaza. No wonder his brother didn't see them earlier. These things virtually made no noise and were using the vendors and buildings as cover from Kurou's watchful eyes. They were zombies, the undead. These creatures, despite having no brain, were probably the weakest yet were the most cunning of undeath. They almost always came in groups, so they had to be careful.

Silently, the large Hunter unsealed his new weapon, his blessed ninjato, in a fiery display of holy might. He was glad to have been given it at this time, for the undeath were practically the prime example of "unholy creatures". With his new weapon, he could kick some serious ass.

As soon as he finished drawing his blade, he jumped from the rooftop that he'd been observing from and descended unto a zombie's back with a cat's agility and an eagle's splendor. His ninjato, thanks to Genma's fine craftsmanship, had easily cut through the creature's torso, spilling no blood until after it had fallen unto the ground into two blood-spattered pieces. Then a bright, white flame had engulfed the two pieces before the immortal creature had the chance to continue, as the divine powers of the mystic blade was able to working it's wonders.

Laito smiled, Kurou now wasn't the only one to have a blade that was blessed anymore.

As soon as the flames dispersed, the offending creature now laid on the ground, crumbled and in ashes. But this wasn't something to celebrate, for a group of more zombies had begun to sprint in his direction. As soon as they closed in on him, Laito readied for the undead civilians' assualt. But before he could retaliate, a fiery meteor struck the group with a controlled might. The shockwave spelled instant eradication for the zombies, and surprisingly, no sound was made.

There was only one person Laito knew who could casually cast a jutsu of this calliber, and that person was his brother.

He rolled his eyes as the meteor's flames died down, the flames taking the form of Kurou, who had his sword pointed to where the creatures had just been, "Are you trying to give away our position?"

"Not really," the elder Hunter pulled his white mask off, revealing a gleeful smile, "you've already done that."

"Jerk," the larger man pouted.

"Bitch," the older Hunter laughed "Don't worry. The villagers won't hear a thing. I've placed sound-concealing seals around the plaza. For some reason, these shit-heads won't leave the area, so they're basically sheep in wolf territory now. Bro', where do you think these things came from? You're the one with experience in the undeath."

"Necromancer, I'm sure of it," Laito nodded adamantly, "these zombies are wearing civilian clothing. Usually, zombies where the clothes they were buried in, but these ones look to have been converted while they were still alive. These are probably just experiments or something. I don't see any necromancer around, so he was probably just experimenting with his powers."

Kurou nodded, impressed by his brother's knowledge. Though he was a better Combatant, Laito was always the better Hunter.

After they both sensed more zombies unveiling theirselves from their hiding spots, the two brothers drew their blessed weapons, Laito his ninjato, and Kurou his chokuto.

Kurou grinned wider, relishing the feel of combat, "Then lets fail these fuckin' experiments, shall we?"

The morning after the great battle in the plaza, citizens would marvel at the damage done to the village's heart. Some had seen bright, divine lights as they looked out into the windows of their homes. But because their homes were far from the plaza itself, no one saw what truly happened. Some say that the lights from the night before, and the damage done to the plaza, was caused by two spirits of battle, fighting with their hearts content. It wasn't until years later that they'd finally know the truth behind the spectacle.

* * *

*****Two Days Later*****

Laito and Aobi, student and teacher, were in the archives of the manor, trying to find anything about necromancy. The incident days before had spurred them both to do research on the tabooed practise, for they now knew that a necromancer was on the loose. They'd both had actually known a bit about necromancy, but learning more didn't hurt.

Out in the training grounds, Kurou was trying to get Lady to change in and out of it's normal form and it's wolf form. The previously blind Fenrir cub's growth was truly something to marvel at. What was a few days to the Fenrir cub was almost a year for an ordinary wolf. Right now, the cub's wolf form was in it's pre-adolescence stage, and Kurou was trying pathetically to get her to change.

He didn't even know how the transformation worked. Heck, no one in the planet did, but it didn't mean he couldn't try.

Inside The Anvil, Genma was tending to customers who wanted to buy from him a few sets of kunai and shuriken. Like any other evening, business was very slow. Usually, the bulk of his the sales took place during the morning, before any missions were given out by the Raikage. Such was the lifestyle in every vassal village. The needle-totting Hunter was just glad that they took orders from a great Kage, and not from the Daimyou.

Currently, his main project, now that making Laito a blessed weapon was over with, was to make some sort of poison. He didn't yet know how to make it, or how to apply it during combat, but the sound of having a highly volatile substance in the Hunters' arsenal sounded right to him.

A bit later, a seal went off, alerting everyone that someone was about to reach the mansion's doorstep. Automatically, everyone, with the exception of Lady, went into the main building as a precaution. It wasn't everyday that someone wanted to visit them just for a talk.

Kurou came rushing in from the kitchen, trying to rub off Fenrir fur from his gi as he made his way to the front door. He cursed seethingly as the visitors began to ring the doorbell multiple times in an annoying fashion. But as soon as he opened the doors, his face looked as if it was stone. Cold and Angry. Without hesitation, the peeved Hunter slammed the great wooden doors with tremendous force. The other Hunters, who were hidden in the shadows, came out of hiding like lions emerging from tall grass when their prey had ran off.

Aobi was the first to question, "What the hell was that?"

"Nothing," Kurou's deep voice boomed hotly.

"Then what the hell did you get mad at for, kid?" Aobi was now standing at full height, his greying brows raised in annoyance.

"It was just some dumbass senior. Nothing more."

And with that, Kurou made his way back to the training grounds, hoping to calm down by carousing with Lady.

* * *

*****Minutes Before*****

Naruto woke up with a cold sweat, his bare chest shaking violently due to the chilliness of his room. It had been a few days since he had begun travelling with Jiraiya and the Hunter. The Hunter who, when he took off his mask, looked like he was middle-aged. He shared with the blonde stories of various encounters with strange creatures and monsters. Judging by the stories, a Hunters life seemed to be one more dangerous than a ninja's. But, Naruto wasn't scared of such a life, for he'd been too scared of going to sleep.

He had been having dreams lately. Nightmares, really. And these nightmares stemmed from the guilt of him torturing over thousands of souls during his stay in Hell. The guilt of having done many horrible things to people that he hadn't known prior to each encounter consumed him. Every time he'd go back to sleep, guilt would reclaim him - like malicious tendrils pulling him inside a trap. Guilt is a hole far deeper and far darker than any cavern in any realm Hell had to offer. The blonde couldn't handle the guilt at all. In each dream, memories of every moment in which he tortured a poor spirit played over and over again without halt. Without quarter.

He wanted to tell someone, but the only people to share this with were his old master and the mysterious Hunter, who was apparently an old friend of Jiraiya. And he couldn't because he wanted their trust. Talking even more about his stay in Hell, without thinking, might contrast with what he had said to them days before, so he decided not to reveal to them anymore about his dark past. Besides, if they were to grow suspicious of him, then he'd be forced to unveil to them his mission from Castiel as well. He was just glad that the two men chose not to ask any more questions after their talk. As soon as he'd stopped sweating, Naruto forced himself to shake the dark memories and the guilt from his mind and slowly made himself inch towards the shower of the motel room that he'd been staying in.

After a short, but refreshing, rinse the blonde had put on his funeral garments. They didn't bother to buy him new clothes, as they were far too close to the Hunters to care about such things. After getting dressed, he made his way to the nearest bar, which most likely housed the two most powerful people that he currently knew. They were now in the Ashagari Township, but they didn't have a clue as to where the Hunters lived. When they had asked Jiraiya, the old man told them that he only knew which town that Yatsuro, another old friend of his, lived and not the specific place. And thus, they all had begrudgingly commenced the search. And because of the Sannin's inadequate knowledge, they had been searching for almost a full day now.

As soon as he entered the small sake bar, Naruto quickly spotted his two companions. They were situated in a small table playing an intense game of shogi, and were apparently talking about a subject irrelevant to the game.

Despite that, Naruto lipped drowsily, "Jiraiya, Tenma-san, I'm going to go train for a while. Wake myself up a bit. And when I'm done, we could start searching for your friends again."

"We won't need to," the elderly sage beamed happily, "we've found a clue as to where they are, thanks to the bartender over there. We were actually just waiting for you to wake up."

"Well then," the blonde perked up in excitement, too happy to tell them that they should've woken him up earlier, "let's go! "

"Easy, young one," the Hunter, who no longer wore his cloak anymore, raised his hands up, signalling the blonde to settle down, "we were told that they live on mount Ashagari. We have to navigate the entire mountain, which could take days."

A nerve splitting could be heard as Naruto's frustration began to settle in.

"However," Jiraiya chimed in, "my sage powers can condense several days of travel into only a few hours."

Suddenly, Naruto's mood lightened once again. He remembered how Jiraiya had easily known who he was when Yenma attacked him days before. If Jiraiya could do something similar to that, only on a wider scale, then finding the Hunters might just be a cakewalk.

* * *

*****Present Time*****

"He fucking slammed the door on us!" the blonde roared in utmost anger, smashing his clenched fists on an invisible table, "What the fuck!"

The Yenma, with his cloak back on, turned to Jiraiya, who was now scratching the back of his head, in question, "Explain. Now."

Thanks to the help of a few townsfolk, they'd located the home of the Hunters in the Ashagari branch. As soon as they saw the large expanse of the Ninomiya mansion, they all wondered if their information was right. Sure, the place didn't looked too fancy on the outside, but surely a group of Hunters couldn't live in a place as bold as a mansion, right? But as soon as they entered the premises, and walked along the Ninomiya clan's well-kept cobble-stone road, they noticed a security seal going off, allowing for them to confirm that the mansion was in fact the Hunters' headquarters. But as soon as they stepped on the winding stone steps at the front, and knocked on the massively carved doors, a man shrouded in white had opened them. But it wasn't until a second later that he slammed the door on the travellers, as if he had his own personal vendetta on them.

"W-well," the toad sage chuckled pathetically, "the guy you just saw, his name is Kurou. I kinda messed up one of his Hunts before, I think. Oh, and I cock-blocked him a few times. And I-"

"Stow it," the blonde interrupted, rubbing the bridge of his nose with one hand while massaging his temple with the other, "let's just try again."

"This time, I'll do it," the Hunter offered, hoping that they'd recognise the signature cloak that all Hunters wore.

After he knocked on the enormous wooden double doors of the large, dull-looking manor, they had begun to wait. Not a moment too soon, a stranger answered the door, a man who, like Yenma, seemed middle-aged and had greying features.

The man automatically recognised the cloak and ushered them all in, "I'm sorry about what happened. My apprentice's brother is a - well…he's a rash one."

Naruto, for lack of a better term, was astonished. He wasn't used to being surrounded by the type of luxury that this Mansion possessed. The place was dull and dreary on the outside, but on the inside, it was the prime example of luxury. A complete contrast to his modest lifestyle. As he looked around what seemed to be the entrance hall, he noticed large portraits of strong looking men littering every inch of wall space. He noticed how hard the floors were due to the marble, and how almost everything inside the estate looked priceless.

Is this the type of life that I'll soon lead? The boy almost hoped, for the sheer beauty of the estate alone made him speechless.

"That's fine," Jiraiya waved the other man off, then pointed to Naruto, "My former apprentice here is also rash. Or at least he used to be."

But to Jiraiya's chagrin, he was completely ignored as the man was now staring at the cloaked Hunter, "You can take your cloak off now, Tenma. And yes, brother, I knew it was you the moment you stepped into the village."

Not one to deny orders from a superior, the Yenmaki sealed his cloak into a scroll before hugging Aobi in a firm hug, "Its nice to see you, brother."

"Likewise," Aobi grinned, leading the group past the marble floors of the main hall, and into the oaken door that lead to the quiet room, "but what has caused you to abandon your post in Konoha? And who have you brought?"

"Oh, them?" the Konoha Hunter unravelled the knot that held his ponytail, shaking the hair as he made himself home, "The old one is Jiraiya. The young on-"

"That's the great Jiraiya!", The sage attempted to scold them, ignoring Naruto's blatant eye-rolling.

Naruto, though he was annoyed at his old master's antics, was currently admiring the warmth of the room. It wasn't what he'd expected a Hunter would even step in, let alone read and study in. But then again, he wasn't yet a Hunter himself so he wasn't one to criticize. He noticed that the walls of the quiet room had the heads of the Hunters' game nailed on like trophies. What was weird about them was that each and every creature looked exotic, more foreign than the ones he'd seen during his past life. He guessed that they were some of the creatures that they hunted, and guessed that he'd have to hunt them too someday. Of course, that was only possible if they accepted him first.

"Oh, stow it, you old fool!" Yenma hissed, his back still turned to the Sannin, "As I was saying, the young one is a special one. He has risen from Hell itself…"

"Really?" Aobi's eyes widened in intrigue as he motioned for everyone to sit, "What is his name?"

"I am Uzumaki Naruto, sir. I want to be a Hunter."

Everything and everyone was quiet after the blonde had interjected Yenma. Sweat started to roll down his neck as Aobi had focused his eyes on him. But without warning, Aobi, the Hunter that unofficially was in charge of the manor had begun to laugh like mad.

"What's wrong?" Naruto almost demanded, "what's so funny?"

"Sorry," the Hunter wiped a tear from his eye, "I don't get to hear that often, you know. So what you want is to become a Hunter? I see…"

Then, Aobi snapped his fingers as he sat into a single-person couch. The door that they'd just walk through opened, revealing a man in black battle attire. The man looked like an average ninja, but was far larger than any man Naruto knew. The strange man had hair almost as long as Yenma's, but wasn't as straight. No, the man had equally brown hair, yet they were curled at the ends and weren't greying like Tenma's . The man, who Naruto assumed was a Hunter, had an aura of silent confidence, the type that made you feel small. Feeble even. Naruto then saw the man walk past the group with the grace of a gazelle and stood behind Aobi like a guard dog.

"This Hunter here," Aobi pointed to him in pride, "is my eldest student, Ninomiya Laito. He is the younger brother of the man who rudely slammed the door on you earlier-"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Naruto exclaimed, standing up from the footstool that he sat on.

"Why, I'm not the one who you should go to for training. I already have two students, which is beyond the limit of what a Hunter is allowed to have. Laito here is experienced enough to have a student, as well as his older brother. It is his choice whether or not to take you in, not mine."

But before the blonde could interrupt once again, the large sasquatch of a Hunter took seat in front of Naruto, "So you want to be a Hunter, yes?"

"Of course!" Naruto didn't sit back on his footstool, for he was too focused on Tenma, Jiraiya, and Aobi leaving the room, "Hey, where are they going?"

"Don't worry about that, Naruto. Please sit down," he waited until the blonde did as he was asked, "good, now can you please tell me why you want to be a Hunter?"

"That's easy," Naruto breathed, trying to remain in focus. He had almost lost his chances in getting the Hunter training due to his outbursts of anger. He had to remain calm else the Hunters deem him too out of control to train.

"I have no where else to go, and Tenma-san thought that it was smart if I were to become like him. He apparently also has an apprentice, so he couldn't take me in. So, he and Jiraiya took me here."

"Really?" The large man scratched his freshly shaven chin, observing the boy's body movements as he talked. He analyzed each of the boy's features, his tendencies, and even how he smelled. "You seem to be telling the part of truth, but that isn't good enough. I know that you have more things to say, but until you do, I cant train you. In short, I need to know more."

The blonde sighed in dismay, "Fine. As you may have heard from Tenma-san, I have turned back to life. The reason why I died isn't important, but what I saw down there changed me. And because of that, I now want to make sure that whatever is in Hell stays in Hell."

"Interesting," the man said, impressed at the boy's apparent perseverance and the fire that he saw in his eyes, "but how did you come back to life? There are very little records on people being revived back to life, and there are absolutely no records at all of those people being the same as they were in their past life."

"I don't know where you're going with this."

"Lies," the man's brown eyes narrowed in suspicion, "all lies. You know exactly why what I'm talking about. I know you tricked those men into thinking that you are the exact same as before you've died. Also, it is impossible for a person to come back to life the way you say you did. Nothing and no one has that type of power to have complete control of the living and the dead. You say that you want to become a Hunter, Naruto, but I think that you'd only keep secrets from us the way you did with them. And finally, I bet that you don't know the repercussions of this job, the hardships that we go through on a daily basis. You need to understand that our lives are, in fact, even more dangerous than a ninja's, and that our enemies are different from yours in every way possible. Ninjas deal with the affairs between men, whilst us Hunters handle the affairs between man and everything else."

"I know that," the boy pleaded, great passion in his blue orbs, "Tenma-san filled me in on that. I've met a demon, sir. A demon. His name was Makhul. I know what they are capable of, and I want to make sure that nobody else would have to go through what I did. Look, I've already had this talk with Tenma-san, and he thinks that I am worthy of being a Hunter."

"But he is not me, and I him. We are different people. Look, Naruto. I feel for you, I really do. Though I don't think that you were really raised from the dead, as you claim, I do believe you when you say that you've seen a demon firsthand. Not many people can say that. In fact, many people who do end up dead. Unfortunately, just wanting to kill them doesn't mean that you are qualified to become a Hunter. I'm sorry, Naruto. I really am."

Then, despite Naruto's shock, the man started to exit the room. The boy couldn't believe it. Naruto had been planning this for almost a week, but everything was now going down the drain. The Hunters didn't accept him. And without their training, he wouldn't be able to do as the angels say and defend the world from the apocalypse. Because of his failure, the world would be doomed.

But, he'd have none of that.

"Wait!" the boy ran to the door, effectively preventing the man from leaving the room, "I didn't tell you the complete truth!"

"It's too late, Naruto. I'm sorry-"

"Shut up!" The blonde growled. "I do know how I was brought back to life. Castiel brought me back to life. An angel. He dragged me from Hell's depths and saved me! Here, look at my arm, his handprin the left is permanent!"

"I-impossible…" Laito stuttered to himself uncharacteristically, a look of great disbelief on his face as he saw the blackened skin that had the shape of a human hand, "A-angels don't exist. No one has ever seen one, much less having even a single shred of proof of their existence."

"It's true!" the blonde couldn't believe he'd just confided in the man his deepest secret this early in the game, "I have more proof. On my back. Look."

As soon as the desperate boy discarded his black garment, he turned around to reveal what looked like temporary seals on his lean back. And like a true scholar would, Laito had immediately grabbed the boy's shoulder, inspecting the marks on the boy's back with a sharp eye. He also took the time to observe the handprint on the boy's tricep.

"Impossible," he said quietly to himself, "It looks like a burn mark made from one of our blessed weapons…And the seals - they're just different altogether."

"What?" Naruto curiously asked, now looking at the black mark beneath his arm, as well.

"Nothing," the man waved off, "this handprint looks to have been caused by some kind of divine energy. It could've been caused by various things, but I still doubt that an angel caused this. Nice try, Naruto, and good day."

"The angel-" Naruto yelled, scolding himself mentally for having exposed the Angels and his mission, "Castiel, I mean. He came to me asking for my help. He brought me back to life because - well, because I'm the chosen one. He said that I'm the only one with the power to stop the apocalypse. There, I said it. You happy?"

"Is that so," the man chuckled, not believing the boy one bit. He had to give the boy a pat on the head, though. After all, he had heart.

"Yes," the blonde nodded before putting back on his shirt. However, the scholar's actions betrayed his opinions, for he was now preventing the blonde from denying him the opportunity to further study the seals.

He noticed that on Naruto's back was a white, halo-shaped seal in between his shoulder blades. Without wasting any time, Laito pressed on a seal on his palm before it glowed white, held it to his mouth, and spoke, "Kurou, sensei, come to the quiet room. As soon as possible. Over."

"Naruto," the man spoke, his voice shaky in both fear and disbelief at the situation, "do you know what is on your back? It's the divine seal. Various scriptures refer to this as 'the weapon'. We don't know what this weapon is exactly, but it is written that-"

"That this weapon has the power to kill everything in creation." Aobi interrupted, Kurou by his side.

"Ah, sensei, brother, you made it."

"The hell did you call me for?" the shorter Hunter huffed, his arms crossed at having to leave Lady for the second time that day.

"It's the divine seal, Kurou," Aobi sighed at the white-clad Hunter's immaturity, "supposedly, it means that this boy hear has the power to kill all in creation. And by creation, I mean everything. Well, anything physical, that is. All it takes is a single mortal wound by it - and boom. You're gone."

"Cool," Kurou smirked, nearly forgetting his vendetta against being called to join in on the drama for no apparent reason. Nearly.

Everyone in the room sighed at the man's stupidity.

"Not quite," Naruto spoke out, continued after he gained everyone's attention, "Castiel, the angel that rescued me from Hell, told me that he gave _me_ a weapon. I don't know what it is, but it's sealed into my back. I don't know much about seals, but he implied to me in one of my dreams that I needed my blood to activate the seals. The blood of a righteous man."

"I'll test to see if that theory is correct, then," Aobi offered, "after all, I know the most about seals here."

Unsealing himself a small ritual knife, the old Hunter asked for Naruto's hand, pricked it, and then splashed it into the divine seal. He then muttered for everyone to be ready before applying chakra to the halo-shaped seal.

"Hope this works," he said to no one in particular.

And suddenly, a bright flash had engulfed the area, with everyone momentarily going blind. They all felt drowsy, each becoming dizzy with disorientation. And as soon as their senses went back to normal, they noticed that they were now in some foreign room. All except Naruto, who had already been in this room before.

"Where the hell are we?" Kurou crouched to the floor, inspecting the white room for any enemy.

The room was slightly different than Naruto remembered. It was slightly bigger, big enough to fit a small family. It was as if the room had accommodated for the Hunters, as if it had a mind of it's own. Also, the blonde noticed that the only piece of furniture in the room was the table. No chairs, just the table. It was eerie how it stood lonely in the middle of the room, as if asking for them to approach it.

"We're in limbo. Purgatory." Naruto sniffed, trying to detect any demons, but the lack of sulphur told him that there weren't. "You know, the plane in between the living and the non-living. This was where I was brought to, right after Castiel saved me. It was also here that I was taken to after I was forced into the Pit."

"Then why are we here?" Aobi asked, an awed look on his stubbly face.

"That, I don't know." Naruto lowered his head in contemplation.

"Hey!" Laito's voice resounded due to the room's excellent acoustics. "Look here. It's a knife."

Everyone followed him, all of them arriving at the table in the middle of the room. And on the table was a knife. One that had a wave-shaped blade. A kris knife of sorts. And underneath the blade was an array of glyphs that were unfamiliar to most of them.

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know," Laito replied, "but it looks like a kris knife. A ceremonial blade used back in the old Hunting days. I haven't seen one in years."

"It is the Colt. It looks like a ceremonial blade, but I already told you guys what it can do. One hit, one death. It is the greatest weapon a Hunter could ever hope to have," he said as he eyed the weapon hungrily. "I was invited to the High Council's library one time, and I read a book about this. Apparently, two legendary Hunters, the brothers Winchester, used this weapon with great ferocity. Only, it wasn't a knife at the time. It was a different weapon entirely. But after the _great change, _the discovery of chakra, the metal used to make the weapon was melted to form the blade you see right now. And it was finally said that the great weapon became lost in time. This ancient, powerful weapon was supposed to be a myth, the same as the two legendary brothers. I guess they're all real then."

"I guess this means that angels do exist, as well…" Laito's shoulders dropped in further disbelief.

"Well?" Kurou said, observing the situation, "What do we do now?"

"We grab it," Aobi answered casually, "you see that seal on the table underneath the Colt? It means that once someone grabs it, then something will happen."

Then, he turned to the blonde boy, "Naruto, I think you should take it. After all, this 'Castiel' gave it to you, right?"

"Right," the boy nodded before firmly grasping the Colt. It felt cold, but it fit well in his hand. Without any further thought, he wrenched the wavy blade from the table without any resistance. Not a moment too soon, a familiar white light had engulfed their vision and they were brought back to the manor. As soon as they were no longer disoriented, they all looked towards Naruto, who was now holding the Colt close to his chest. The force that brought them back to the mansion shook the room, and possibly the whole manor. It was evident because the quiet room, which was previously neat and tidy had looked like a small storm had passed by it. Various chairs and books now littered the ground.

"What?" the boy asked, nervous now that the Hunters, all of whom had the power to defeat a Kage easily, were staring at him like prey.

"That weapon," Aobi whispered, but loudly enough that everyone in the room could here, "has the power to annihilate creatures, monsters, demons, whatever you could name-"

"And the angel, who gave it to the boy, thinks that he could save the world," Laito followed suit.

"What the fuck…" Kurou said unintelligibly.

"So what does this mean?" Naruto asked, putting back on the clothes that he'd discarded earlier, "Does this mean that you're gonna train me?"

"In a way," Laito said, smiling with complete acceptance, "yes. Yes we are."

* * *

**Summary: Okay, so this is the final introductory arc. And also, it's the beginning of Naruto's training as a Hunter. Although a Hunter may have only one apprentice, in this story, Naruto will have multiple Masters. So that means that Naruto could really be anything. He could be a Medic, a sealmaster, a weapons master(this looks to be very probable), a ninjutsu artist, and maybe even a stealth master. Maybe even ALL of them(but that would be a little too OP, eh?). But whatever type of Hunter he might become, I promise you all that he won't be too powerful, or too weak. I also promise you that each and every chapter will have some sort of combat scene, as I'd hate to bore you by posting up chapters with just boring stuff.**

**Now, like the show, this story is a "Road-story". And that means that the gang(Naruto and whoever is traveling with him) won't be at one place for too long. This is because they'll get missions from the Conclave every so often. That means that Naruto would sometimes visit Konoha periodically. Also, I have a sort of Hunter's version of a Chuunin exam in later chapters. That includes various challenges for up-and-coming Hunter apprentices to be recognised by the high council as fully trained Hunters. Please check my profile, as I have a poll going on as to what weapon Genma will forge for Naruto should he become worthy of one. This weapon, like Laito's and Kurou's is blessed. You have a wide assortment of weapons to choose from(from a scythe to dual daggers) and I think you will be pleased to know what type of weapons I have in mind.**

**Hope you liked this chapter! Please read and review!**

**PS: As you could see, my story has very few grammatical errors. Now, my fans, I'm looking to Beta read a few stories, since I want to share the success. I promise that I make a good Beta reader as I've done so before on another website. I've already pledged that though I will work hard to make an author's text looked good to the reader's eye, I will try to maintain the author's writing style, for the author's writing style is a signature of sorts. You could tell straight away that my writing style is differs greatly to the other stories here on . This is because my writing style is similar to a novel's. But if the mainstream style of writing is your style, then I, as a Beta reader, will make sure that the style remains true to the author. If you want me to Beta read your story, then please personal message me.**

**PSS:My offer still stands; if you want Naruto to fight Vampires, Werewolves, or any other monster, then I will make it work somehow. Even if I decide to add the creature late into the story, I will even give the person who came up with the idea a private message with the rough notes of the chapter(s) that has the creature they asked for. So basically, help me choose from the many, MANY supernatural creatures that you may know of so I could incorporate them into this epic story!**


	5. Chapter 5 Feel the Burn!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, it'd be a novel. Enjoy!**

* * *

The boy wearily spooned himself a bit of cereal as he recalled the past two week. His dreams, as they were, continued to haunt him. Images of terror, gore, and pain flashed through his mind like a horror track. And the screams - oh, how those poor souls didn't deserve what he'd done to them. No one deserves what happens to you down in the _Pit_. He remembered a point where he'd pleaded them to stop. They declined. Later, he'd asked them to let him just put the poor man out of his misery. They declined once more, but told him that it was impossible. One cannot kill the damned. But he didn't believe them. He'd stabbed the frightened soul with his tools of torture given to him by the ones that once tortured him. But try as he may, the man didn't die. In fact, he'd made it worse, for the poor man's soul kept coming back to life - kept regenerating due to some unseen force. And it was at that point that the blonde knew that he'd traded one torture for another. Though he no longer felt the pain of being tortured himself, the guilt of doing to those that had been done to him had remained. And though he was far from the devil's gates, the guilt remained. There was absolutely no difference between that realm and this. He still felt the shame, thus his torture has continued even in rebirth. He shook away his dark thoughts as he re-focused on his bowl. Another spoonful, another day. It had been two weeks now since his "rebirth". He hadn't had any sleep the first week, but had managed to sneak a few hours the last one. Eventually he'd get used to these hauntings. He had to. He'd begged to whatever unseen force out there for it.

He cracked his neck at the memories of the past two weeks. It was a nightmare. More ways than one. Hunter training was far worse than any type of training he'd imagined, far worse than any physical pain he'd felt in the natural realm. Each and every repetition, every push, every struggle served to both root itself into his combative prowess and sear his muscles with white hot intensity. But still, hell fire was far worse, as each second in Hell was like standing in the bottom of an active volcano. He'd reminded himself all throughout the two weeks that whatever form of punishment he'd receive would never be as bad as Hell. Ever. Now he was living a life of luxury - given that he'd worked his ass up 'till the bone, of course. He was so used to living the life of a beggar, always haggling for the price of his clothing and always relying on the Ichiraku's to give him his daily staple. His year spent in the Pit hadn't done him justice either. The first week living here was such a drastic lifestyle change. He'd found himself at awe each time he'd enter the room on several occasion. But now, he knew that wasting his time on admiring his present home would hinder his focus. Focus was one of the things his teachers demanded of him, as well as his loyalty and his body (one of Kurou's stupid jokes, he guessed). He tried to wash the memories away of both training and Hell with a glass of water. He then looked down at his bowl, only to see that the bran had already softened. How long had it been? He looked out the kitchen's carved windows to see that almost an hour had past since his last spoonful. It was okay. He was far too tired to eat anyways.

He then carried his bowl to the sink and made his way to the training grounds, where one of his masters, Kurou would be waiting for him. This was his daily routine; training in combative jutsu and the combative arts with Kurou, then spending some quality time learning about _hunting_ with Laito. His excitement betrayed his physical pain, as the Hunters were exactly what he'd imagined them to be. They were powerful, even more so than anyone he'd ever met. But something about one of the one of the Hunters, the one called Genma, seemed very strange. Hadn't he seen him before?

Never mind that, he thought. He had training to do.

* * *

*****Flashback*****

"So," the Hunter gave the sitting blonde an icy glare, "we heard from Jiraiya-sama that you have nowhere else to go, that your only path now is to become what I am. A Hunter.

"Now, tell me why exactly you think that excuse is good enough for training you. Sure, we don't _mind_ having you around, but what in your right mind believes that you _deserve_ to be a part of _us_? Why shouldn't we make you our servant instead of having you as a part of our own?"

"I'll work hard." The boy said adamantly, a ferocious determination etched it's way towards Laito's hard looks. " I know I can do it. I've been protecting people that haven't given a damn about me my entire life. There's no way I'd stop now."

The tall Hunter snorted, "Like we give a damn about your goals. What we care about is if you have the constitution and the focus to share my profession."

The boy growled under his breath, not caring if the taller man heard or not. He was still pissed at how the pervert and his friend left him alone the morning after they came. The only things they'd left him were his ninja tools and the necklace the old hag had given him. He'd missed her, but those bastards would pay for not giving him a proper farewell, for he knew that it'd be a long time until he'd see anyone with a Konoha headband. After waking up, he'd found that his old clothes were gone, only to be replaced by a black training gi. At the Hunter's request, he was taken down to the quiet room, only to sit in the middle of the fucking floor and get interrogated by Bigfoot himself. The twp stared each other, not breaking contact, until Laito chose to initiate.

"So, tell me, why exactly you want to become a hunter." The man stated condescendingly.

"I've already told you why, it is my dest-"

"Destiny?" The older man interrupted as he lowered his face to meet the boy's defiant glare. "You think that just because a so-called angel raised you from the dead and spoke nonsense about your 'destiny', you think we'd oblige to an institute we have no idea about? We don't even know if what they say is true, or what their true intentions are. We don't even know how the _hell_ we'd defend against them should they launch on us an attack!"

Hell, Naruto thought as his teeth began to grind. He hated that word.

"Do you even know what a Hunter's job requires?" The man aggressively continued as he squatted to reach eye level, allowing for the two to exchange looks - Naruto with his hot fury, and Laito with his icy contempt.

"No, I don't."

"That's right, because you're far too _weak_ to and too _stupid_ to deserve to know about what we do. I bet all the people you knew before deserve to be Hunters more than you since all the time in Hell made you sloppy. Its probably too late for you to even catch up to them."

"Look, now," The boy stood up. For some reason, even with the lack of whiskers and fangs, his glare was still as ferocious as ever. "I know next thing to nothing about you assholes, but I know you could hold your own in a fight. I didn't come here to be a trained as a killer or some sort of a super-powered hero. I just want to be good enough that I could protect the people that matter, even if they don't know I exist. I don't even give a damn if they know who I am because helping people is the only way I can be satisfied."

Impressed, the man motioned for the boy to sit on his personal couch. The boy complied, but he remained standing. "That's good, but you still have no clue as to what we do, don't you? Uzumaki-san, do you know what the _supernatural_ is?"

The boy, surprised at the man's sudden gentleness replied _quite_ coherently, "L-like ghosts and - err, demons and stuff?"

The man laughed, "Not just that. There's **much** more than just ghosts and demons out there. I'll explain to you about that later on. What a Hunter does is simple. We hunt down creatures. Ones that aren't _normal_. Why? Because we have to keep a sort of balance."

"The heck is this balance?"

"Let me ask you this, Uzumaki-san: Have you ever seen a ghost? A vampire? A _'god'_? No? Well, that just means we're doing a good job."

"What?" the boy asked, hungry for more knowledge, "Where are you going with this?"

"The reason why you've never seen them before, the reason why anyone has met them, is because of us. Hunters. We've worked in hiding for thousands of years to make sure no one has to deal with the crap we deal with on a daily basis. We _hunt_ so that no one would feel the pain of losing someone to beings that they could never hope to defend against."

The grey-clad hunter took a breath, "And with all that said, what makes you think that you have what it takes to become a hunter? Letting you live was the first rule we broke. We're okay with that, as we can keep tabs on you easily should we make you our servant. But we broke the second rule - breaking the balance by confiding in you the existence of the paranormal. I should kill you right now in the name of protecting our identities, you know."

"Look, I know I have more than a year's worth of training to catch up with, but I've seen these demons and I know what they are capable of. I'm sure I can be of use to you just as long as I can kill a fair share of my own. I won't hesitate, I won't lose my focus, and I won't give up during training. Shit, I'll probably be begging you guys every morning to hurry up to train me if you start slacking. The point is, I'm ready to give up my past life. I'm still considered dead - I don't exist. I'm sure that can be of great use to you. Is there anything else you want me to say?"

"No." The man smiled as he patted the boy's mucky hair. "Come on, before we teach you, you'll need yourself a bath."

* * *

*****End Flashback*****

Naruto made his way out the kitchen's white, wooden door and flinched at the sun's glare. He grew used to the beauty of the estate, so he quickly made his way through the controlled flora and fauna, and headed towards the stable before venturing to the base of the mountain where the hallowed training grounds lay. He was told that the garden was tended to by a select few from the vassal-village, Ashagari Township. The stable, however, was off-limits to the gardeners and only the Hunters and he were allowed to approach it.

He unfurled a ball of cloth to reveal a freshly-baked loaf of country bread. He then made kissing noises, "Lady! Come play!"

Not a moment too soon, the Fenrir cub that Kurou had taken in at the same time as he playfully dashed towards him, saliva dripping as she pounced on him. His masters were right, she did grow fast. She was now twice the size of an average dog, able to stand a foot and a half taller than him should she stand on two feet. As soon as she was close to meeting him he quickly spun to the side whilst dropping the loaf of bread. The she-fenrir huffed in happiness as she caught it in mid-air and gracefully landed with the agility of a cat. Such was their daily routine.

"Alright, that's enough!" The boy squatted down to pet Lady's beautiful coat of silver. "I have to go train now. You should go back into the stable before the gardeners see you - Whoa!"

The cub then playfully dug her snout between Naruto's legs, forcing him to sit awkwardly on her back, before taking off towards the training grounds with him along. It wasn't long before they reached the league of stairs up on the mountain's base and climbed. As they ascended up the stairs, Naruto could only gaze in quiet apprehension as the boldness of Mt. Ashagari became more pronounced with each elevated gallop. The pearly whites of the snow, the greys of the carved rock, and the tones of the earth sang out in one harmonious symphony that displayed the great rock's majesty. He'd never get used to the beauty of this. And at the bottom of this great mountain stood the hallowed ground of the Ninomiya clan's training grounds, surrounding the entire mountain's base. They consisted of several dozen pieces of land, each nearly a half-mile apart, and each the size of nearly one league. The grounds were considered hallowed because many believed they had powers. There was once an accident where the _monsters_ of the mansion had a brief scuffle with some invading ninjas who hoped to steal Kumogakure's secrets. The conclusion was disastrous, having scarred the and greatly, leaving several nearby hot springs polluted, and causing for the local wildlife to rot. But the morning after, it was found that the grounds became new again, as if the accident hadn't occurred. The magic of the Ninomiya training grounds attracted many nijas, even from the neighbouring villages, but no one thought to enter the one nearest to the vassal village, the one located directly above the Ninomiya clan mansion, the house where the _monsters _sleep.

As soon as they finished conquering the stairs, Lady and Naruto met Kurou, who was going through the motions of a dance he recently made with his blessed chokuto. He'd had it for about a year, so he'd considered it his partner in crime - his most reliable comrade. The Hunter stopped his fluid-like movements as soon as he heard the sounds of barking and yelling. He turned around to see the bleach blonde stepping off his ride and pat down his clothing. "I'm glad you actually came in on time today. I got something special to teach you, kid."

"Cool." The boy bowed respectfully before entering the hallowed grounds before he walked towards the center of the stone surface. He kneeled down on his knees out of respect for his master and waited for him to continue.

"Okay, so for the past two weeks I've gotten you to recondition yourself - making you relearn everything you've ever learned in combat, with the help of your shadow clones of course. You've done a kick-ass job so far, kid but you still have a ways to go."

He continued after receiving a nod from his disciple. "Now, it won't take long before you get back into shape, but I bet you're wondering about how you could catch up to those you knew from before. In your past life, I mean."

"That's right."

"Well, you can forget about that," the man laughed after receiving a surprised look from the boy. "As you know, shadow clone training helps you speed up training a bit, so you'll have no problem catching up and even surpassing those from your grade. The problem, however, is that you need actual combat experience instead of having to repeat the motions of your katas in a controlled environment. It is only then that we'll be able to know the extent of your abilities. But never mind that. Let's get you warmed up, kid. Now, I assume you've done your stretches before-hand? Good."

"One minute?" The boy queried.

"One minute." The man agreed. "No jutsu. Chakra and weapons allowed."

The man discarded his black training gi, as did the boy, revealing black tattoos on both of their lean forms. Naruto had been outfitted with storage seals and weight seals as soon as his first day of training had ended. Along his arms and his legs and his chest, a web of small notches were stained. These almost-invisible lines of death were seals that stored some of the ninja tools that Jiraiya had left him, and on the rest of the storage seals were some weapons that Genma had made for him as well. On his chest and his back and his limbs laid a blazing inferno of black fire. His weight seals. Altogether, it weighed about fifty pounds. Not as intense as the seals on his masters, but it was a very good start since he'd just put them on nearly two weeks ago. On the center of his lean chest, however, was a tattoo of the gem of the necklace he was left with. It was a storage seal for the prized necklace that was worth an entire mountain. With it, he could probably have bought his way back in to Konoha. But, he knew that such a thing would disrespect his memory of the old hag. He took the necklace out every night when he'd brood or when he was down. The memories of the past had in fact not haunted him, but it had helped him remember all the obstacles he had overcome. It encouraged him that he'd overcome many more.

The two males settled in relaxed stances. Kurou knew that the boy's taijutsu was much better than it was when he'd first came. He was faster, more efficient - not relying on just brute strength like he did in the past. The boy was the first to move, using a bit of chakra to hasten his steps. He aimed an open fist towards the older man's ear, but the man's forearm collided with it in retaliation. After the collision, Naruto had appeared behind the man and launched a roundhouse to the his leg, hoping to cripple him before finishing him off. However, a hand caught the leg before it could connect to Kurou's own. A moment later, Naruto found himself thrown ten feet away. He quickly caught himself mid-air. And as soon as he touched the ground, he disappeared.

Kurou looked about before he rolled forwards, narrowly missing the boy's attack from above. Naruto unsealed two kunai, and ran towards his master whilst growling in frustration.

"Control your emotions," the man said as he parried the boy's strikes with his chokutos sheathe. Without his white face mask, it was easy to sea that the man truly relished battle. He didn't at all try to hide his amusement as the Naruto's attempts, one after another, failed to meet him.

Naruto then jumped, span in mid-air, and unleashed a volley of shuriken that were headed for his master. The man tried to move away but he found that the two kunai that his disciple had previously equipped were pinning each of his boots to the cracked, stone ground. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke just before the shuriken managed to pierce him. Naruto heard the sounds of metal meeting rock and readied himself. He waited and found that, when the smoke cleared, his master's boots remained. Not a moment too soon, he felt a pang of white hot pain colliding with his back, the force pushing him forward in an almighty shove. Because his eyes were closed at the pain, he didn't see Kurou in front of him as the man delivered a kick to his solar plexus. The kick was controlled enough that it didn't break his ribcage upon contact, but hard enough that it knocked the air out of him and pushed him back from whence he came.

The boy got up and found his master putting back on one of his black combat boots. He was just about to put the other one on before Lady ran up to him and playfully tried to pounce on him.

"No, Lady! I'm busy!"

Naruto used this diversion as a chance to finally connect. He disappeared right behind his master, then in front of him, then in the air above, and kept doing so until the Fenrir cub was able to get out of the way. Eventually a punch aimed for the side of the man's head was caught, forcing the boy to cringe at the thr Hunter's would-be counterattack.

"The minute's over, kid." The man smirked. The boy was improving. Such tactics were considered underhanded, but in a real life situation, such schemes were the difference between life and death.

The boy groaned before Kurou placed him back on the ground. He sat back down, his body now in lotus position. He was actually impressed at how he came so close to finally hitting his master. "Jutsu-time?"

"Yep," the older male licked his lips. "Jutsu-time.

"Today, we'll be doing something different. Instead of practising your chakra controlling techniques, you'll be learning your elements."

To this, the boy jumped up from his seated position and chirped, "Cool, so I'll be learning how to make meteors and tornadoes and all that?"

"No, not today, kid." The man's smile dampened when the boy's shoulders drooped down in sadness. "Baby steps, kid. Before teaching you all those awesome techniques, we'll still need you to know what your element is first. Here, take this chakra litmus paper. It'll tell you what your element is. All you have to do is to focus your chakra into it until something happens to it. Got it?"

"Alright," the boy muttered, his mood now dampened due to having his hopes crushed. When he took the paper, he focused some of his chakra into it. He noticed that it had not only split into two, but each half began to burn in a light blaze. He sighed in awe.

"That looks like good news," the man smiled impressed. "Usually people have an affinity for just one element when they start off, but you have an affinity for two. This is really good, since I, myself, am a master in fire jutsu, and Genma is pretty okay in wind too. I guess we'll be having ourselves some good times, won't we?"

"What do you mean about affinities?" the boy tried to hide his excitement.

"You'll still be able to learn techniques from other elements, but learning them would take you many months, even if they're just simple techniques. The elements you have an affinity for, however, cuts that time in half, maybe even less depending on how in tune you are with your elements."

"Awesome," the boy smiled in satisfaction. He truly couldn't wait until he'd truly learn about his elements.

"Yeah, tell me about it," the man sighed as he recalled memories about his father. "Anyways, I won't be teaching you any jutsu techniques today, or give you any jutsu-controlling exercises, since we'll be needing you to be in proper shape for the Hunt tomorrow. You can get over to the library now if you're ready. Laito's been there studying up on necromancy and all that undeath crap."

"Why don't you study up with him?" The boy had always wondered why this man had only devoted himself in combat training.

"I wasn't made to study, kid - only fight. You'll learn that soon enough tomorrow."

Without wasting anytime, the boy nodded to his master before reaching the stairs. He bowed before leaving the training grounds and walked with Lady back to the mansion. The big cub trotted about in front of him with her tail wagging about.

He was slightly upset at how today's lesson with Kurou was shortened quite significantly. Usually, the taijutsu portion of the lesson would take nearly an hour, and the jutsu training took pretty much half the day. Perhaps his master had to do some preparation for the upcoming Hunt. Just last week he saw both his masters filling in paperwork for a Hunt they did in Kumogakure and Aobi had to take their place in training him that day. It didn't matter what job it was, he deduced sadly, paperwork would always fid a way to rear it's head around the corner.

As soon as he finally reached the kitchen, he went down the marble staircase and into the basement. But, it wouldn't be accurate to call it a basement, but rather a facility, for it was a complex series of hallways and rooms that stretched as far as completely filling out the inside of Mt. Ashagari. It is easy to say that the mansion's exterior and it's property is huge, but saying so would merely be the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the mansion's marble floors were levels and levels of floors, reaching nearly half a mile beneath the surface, and completely filling in the interior of the hollowed-out mountain. The only reason why no one was stupid enough to climb the mountain and discover the existence of the complex was because the Hunters had already fabricated a tale, beforehand, of an evil being inhabiting it. The scare at the heart of the village below, two weeks prior, helped the tale spread even more. The complex was used for mainly three things, a storage for the many trinkets and materials they'd robbed the hides of baddies they'd encountered over the years, as Laito's private training ground, and as a library - an archive of sorts, which contained a collection of tomes, scrolls, and other such publications on the supernatural. He'd no idea where they'd gotten all the books, but the idea still stands: Knowledge is power, and the Hunters had a _lot_ of knowledge.

With Lady still by his side, Naruto finished descending down the wide, yet winding staircase. As he climbed down, he noticed that the walls took on a lifelessly greyer tone, as opposed to the marble-white that adorned most of the mansion's upper floors. This part of the mansion - Laito's domain, wasn't built for show, but for efficiency and practicality. Instead of the heads of exotic creatures, signs now hung on the wall, telling him which room is which. He followed the main passage - the large, bland corridor, towards the main library which was Laito's personal study. It was also the area where the blonde would go to, after a hard day's work at the training grounds, to learn a great deal of Hunter know-how. There were many other libraries and archive rooms within the enormous complex, but the one he was headed to right now was the most diverse, and the largest, as well. As soon as he reached the library, Lady sped off to meet Laito, who'd stationed himself somewhere in the large room, past all the walls of text.

The study looked similar to the quiet room, but shared the same pattern as the rest of the rooms in the complex by not having the presence of creatures attached to the mauve-stained walls. Instead, the walls were hung with old portraits and ancient texts, carefully framed in glass like exhibits. Naruto walked past row after row of books the size of his chest. Each bookshelf, he'd recognized, were roughly the same height as a house. Rolling ladders could be found by each bookshelf for easy use of the library. He'd come to love them as Laito would send him on errands from time to time to do research of his own on the paranormal. He later found Lady standing on two feet with her gigantic claws clutching on to the table Laito was currently occupying. An array of open and closed books could be seen on his desk. Probably the research on the undeath, Naruto chanced.

"Ah, Uzumaki-san, you've arrived," the man smiled as he lifted his head from a tome he'd been sticking his nose in for quite some time. "You've come a lot earlier than usual."

"Yeah, Kurou sent me here after showing me what my elements are. Turns out that I'm fire and wind."

"Really, now? Its quite rare to see a person able to use two elements that can easily compliment each other in battle. You're quite the lucky kid. Kurou's probably doing paperwork for the upcoming Hunt for a change. Usually, he leaves me with all the work. But anyways, I've prepared a small scroll for you. Here, sit down."

The boy sat down and waited until his master cleared up the table. The man then produced a tattered scroll from inside his pocket. It was laminated, no doubt to protect it from the terrors of direct lighting and air. The boy was told that such elements were no doubt the steps that lead to the destruction of ancient, but important documents such as this. Naruto, after receiving the tiny parchment, unfurled it and laid it across the large, oaken table. It was labelled, _'How to Exorcise a Ghost'_.

"I want you to read it out loud. The first paragraph only, please." Laito delighted as he stood beside his student. Research was one of the greatest joys in his life. He was definitely one who'd get out of his way to quench the thirst of his hunger for knowledge. And because of that, sharing that experience, to him at least, was even more satisfying than just learning by himself.

The boy cleared his throat before diving into the plastic-coated wall of text. "How to Exorcise a Ghost, entry number one. Exorcism is the practise of _evicting_ demons or other supernatural beings from a vessel, or from the living plane of existence. But to properly exorcise a ghost is one of the most common skills in a Hunter's arsenal. Take note that a ghost is an intangible being, able to possess both creatures and objects alike. You cannot touch it, but it can harm you. There are different types of ghosts, it is apparent that they all exist for two reasons - one of them being unfinished business."

"Okay," Laito started. "We've received news from the Conclave that your first Hunt will take place in Kumogakure. Rumours around there state that a spectre of some kind inhabits one of the buildings there. One of the older ones, of course."

"Its always the older, more darker buildings, right?" the boy smiled.

The older man snorted in amusement, "Yeah, now that I think about it. But anyways, you'll need to do this by yourself. We'll help only when asked, but we'll evaluate your performance so we can see where you stand. Based on your performance, we'll decide how hard and how intense we'll need to train you before _The Hunt_."

"Oh, so we're going on another mission right after the one tomorrow?"

"No, not _a_ Hunt, but _the _Hunt. Think of it as a chuunin exam for hunters, but with a flare. But forget about that for now. Just focus on studying for your performance evaluation tomorrow.

"So, as you've already read, a ghost is intangible. It can go through obstacles of any kind and can even possess things if you're not careful. But what the text forgot to state is that ghosts are able to use abilities they had when they were alive. Here's an example, for instance. Imagine Kurou, only it is impossible to hit him, and he has the powers of possession and can be undetectable at any instant. Also, he can go through walls, and has near super-human strength."

"How the heck do you expect me to fight a ghost then?" The boy asked, with a flash of fear in his deep blues.

"You don't." He said bluntly, crossing his arms as he began to lean on the table. "Exorcising isn't fighting. Its impossible to fight a ghost. Sure, you can stall them for a bit, but they'll only end up killing you if you're not prepared."

"So how do I get prepared?"

"Good question. Here." The older man unsealed a rucksack labelled 'Exorcism' and produced from it a box the size of one of a tome. "This here's rock salt. It acts as a ward against ghosts of any kind, as well as other creatures that don't belong to this realm. I'll show you how to use it."

The man opened pierced a hole into the box with the nearby pencil and walked into an open space between two rows of bookshelves and shook the box, forming a large circle, almost three metres in diameter around him. "It is impossible for a ghost to physically pass this circle and possess or harm me. However, a long range jutsu, and maybe even a thrown object can still harm me. And although exorcising a demon is an entirely different thing altogether, once you can get enough rock salt into a possessed demon-vessel's body, then the demon is as good as gone."

"But how do you exorcise a ghost?"

Laito then went outside the salt circle he fashioned and walked back to Naruto's side, "Read the last paragraph out loud."

The boy cleared his throat out for a final time, "Although harming a ghost is nearly impossible, , it is still possible for Hunters to exorcise them. On top of unfinished business, all ghosts are anchored through one thing - bodily remains. If a Hunter can burn these remains, then the ghost will be properly exorcised."

"Well, there you go," Laito sighed in content. "That's how you exorcise a ghost. I'll do some paperwork of my own in the quiet room, but you'll need to stay here and clean up all the salt."

But before the man could take off, Naruto stopped him, "Wait a minute. What if I don't have a fire source ready for burning the remains? What do I do then?"

Truth be told, Laito was waiting for the boy to ask that sort of question. Both he and his brother had been testing him all week, whether they were physical tasks or mental ones. So far, he'd passed all their expectations. A hunter needed to have his bases covered, as well as possess other important traits, after all and a trainee shouldn't be different. According to their analysis, Naruto had covered them all naturally.

"The scroll is outdated. The truth is that as long as the remains are destroyed, then the ghost will be exorcised. Whether you want to grind it up or smash it is up in the air. What matters is making sure the remains is broken beyond repair, as a ghost is able to repair their remains upon contact. But if you cannot find their remains, you can just refer to the first connection all ghosts share. If a ghost is anchored here by unfinished business, then all you have to do is to finish that business for them and they'll be properly sent back to the afterlife where they belong. Some hunters like to do this because its humane, but trust me, it is harder than it sounds. I hope you're ready to exorcise this demon at whatever it costs, Uzumaki-san, even if it forces you to get down on your knees and fish the remains out of a grave."

Naruto, although completely against disrespecting the sanctity of someone's grave, was okay with the thought of entering someone's grave in order to save lives. Besides, he'd been in his own grave not too long ago. What could be worse than that?

"Thanks," the boy replied after a moment of silence. "Just a quick question though, why do you keep outdated documents even though there are several mistakes in them?"

"Oh," the man asked as the question had got him by surprise, "One reason is because their existence is priceless even though they are useless. The effort it took to forge all these tomes were the efforts by my clan. Another reason is that _all_ documents about the supernatural have holes in them. Everyday, us Hunters learn secrets about the creatures we hunt. We put our discoveries in our paperwork before sending them back to the headquarters - the Conclave. Then, these discoveries get published into books that are sent to bastions of knowledge such as the ones here. They are sent to every Hunter clan so that it becomes easier to Hunt down these creatures that threaten to kill us everyday."

"So by giving me this document, you are testing me to see if I were the type that needs to get his bases covered."

"That's right," Laito smiled , "the secret behind a Hunter's success is his preparation, not martial prowess. The skills in battle just help us stay alive a bit longer. Now, if only my older brother would get that in his…"

And with that, the master Hunter left, leaving behind an astonished boy. He regretted, though, not telling his student that there was yet another test waiting for him, one that could determine whether or not they should keep him as a student.

Naruto sat still in his seat, thinking about all the things that lay ahead of him in his life. This was the point of no return. At this point, he figured he could just run away and leave the Colt and Lady behind and live a life of norm, not caring about the creatures that lurk in the night, the creatures that these Hunters spent thousands of years fighting. The balance, he thought. Is it really as delicate as Laito once said? What would happen should this balance break?

Damnit, he'd already known the answer all along. It was against his beliefs to let something go unfinished. Even worse, it was against his beliefs to ignore something as dangerous as the supernatural to let loose in the world. He wasn't a killer, no. He was a protector. Running away and ignoring the supernatural would make him a killer, for not working to slay them would mean death to their prey. And he knew, based on his experience in the pit, that these creatures preyed on the weak. The demons - those damned beasts - tortured him everyday. And on top of that, forced him to torture the souls of other humans, his brethren.

No longer will he stand still and let these damned creatures make him submit. He was a new person now. He had a new life. And he damn well liked the new life he'd led so far.

He picked up the scroll, choosing the path of the Hunter.

He then sealed the small scroll into one of his tattoos and looked around for some books on exorcism. He noticed that Lady had been quiet all this time. He then saw her rolling on the floor where his master had demonstrated the workings of the rock salt. The salt line no longer took the shape of a circle,+ for the dog had scattered it around the floor and into her silvery fur. Damnit. Before he could study, he had a mess to clean up and a dog to bathe.

* * *

*****Hours Later*****

He awoke from his drowsy spell, his neck a bit stiff at having to make a large tome his pillow. He shook the tiredness out of his eyes before looking at a nearby clock. It read 10:00 pm. Had it really been that long? He then closed the book, _'Exorcism by Fire' _and laid it on the pile Laito had made when he'd done his research on the undeath. He then heard a low growl, which had shaken him out of his wonderings.

He looked down the rows of bookshelves and noticed that there was no one there but he and Lady, who'd woken up just as he stood up from his seat. After a moment of contemplation, he heard another growl and laughed. It had come from his stomach. The answer was obvious. He'd just woken up at evening, and he hadn't had lunch or dinner yet. His masters were probably fast asleep or outside drinking in the closest tavern. He then heard Lady moan aloud, a noise he'd come to know as her hunger.

He laughed, rubbing her bushy head, "You hungry too? Well, let's head up to the kitchen, shall we?"

Without a second thought, the Fenrir cub forced the boy on her back again and made her way up to the kitchen. As soon as they reached it, Naruto noticed that it was indeed very dark outside.

He opened one of the cupboards and poured himself a cup of water and drank it, smacking his lips at the sudden thirst-quenching. He then walked towards the fridge and took out a slab of deer meat for Lady. As soon as he set it in her large bowl, he went ahead to wash his hands and enjoyed a sandwich he'd made for himself in the morning. He stood at the counter while enjoying his little snack as he looked outside the window into the garden. Even at night, it was a sight to be seen. Fireflies danced in the night air with controlled rhythm and crickets sang their song mercilessly and happily. And then he marvelled at the drama of the mountain, how it sang to him a song of pride and majesty. And he knew that beyond it stood many more mountains, and then the ocean. Lightning Country's countryside was far different from Fire Country's rolling hills of green, but he'd come to love his new home. Still, there wasn't a day where he hadn't missed his homeland and the company of his old friends. There were a lot of things he'd wanted to tell them. He wanted to show them how far he'd gotten, and he wanted to know about them as well. But they probably had forgotten about him anyways…

His thoughts then raced to Team Seven, the beauty of Sakura despite her many, _many_ flaws, and how he'd grown to love his Sensei despite his equally flawed personality. And then his mind centered on _Sasuke_ how he'd betrayed not only the team, but the village as well. Thus was the life that the blonde chose to leave behind. He didn't care about exacting revenge upon the Uchiha - no, not at all. He'd seen far too many souls in the _pit, _who cared far too much on vengeance to think about their own lives. Now, look where their vengeance has brought them. Naruto shook his head and looked down at Lady as she was close to finishing her deer.

And then he heard that same growl from before, only it was louder. _Darker. _

He knew it couldn't have come from Lady as she was too pure to harbour such a hateful noise. It had probably come from outside. He quickly made a silent 'shhh' to Lady, who was now snarling for having been interrupted at her meal by the growl. Naruto then quickly reached beneath the sink and found a seal the size of his finger and focused his chakra into it. Instantly, a clanging of metal could be heard as every opening that led into the mansion was closed of by a layer of both metal and seals. Seals for any creatures that lurk through the night, and a two-inch steel barricade for any invading ninjas.

Once all was silent, he spoke into a seal on his wrist, "Kurou, Laito, Aobi-san, Genma: If you can hear this please answer. Over."

No response. He cursed darkly. What a _perfect_ time for them to be drunk up in some tavern.

With Lady following him closely, they silently made their way towards the staircase leading towards the basement to make sure it was locked off. And it was, Naruto sighed in relief. Though it was open, there was no sign of anyone going down the winding stairs. He then pressed on a seal on the top step and activated it, causing a steel barricade to appear out of thin air and effectively block any attempt to enter the complex. Seals on the metal served to make it more impossible to penetrate as no living life form could pass through that barricade without experiencing an almighty wrath of fire. The secrets hidden in the complex were the most valuable things the Hunters here had possessed. Luxury items like gold and silver paled in comparison to thousands of years worth of knowledge and power. The next step was to arm himself. Now with basement and the outside closed off, he'd successfully isolated whatever intruder that somehow made it's way passed the seals on the front of the estate. Now, it was either waiting outside or it was in the mansion with him. And if it was, then arming himself was the least he could do to kill this thing.

As he trekked towards the quiet room, he found himself wiping a sheen of sweat from his forehead. Was he nervous? No, that couldn't be. He'd been preparing for this for two weeks, and he couldn't hesitate now when timing was what mattered the most. The fire still roaring with life in the hearth, it's flames only serving to cast malignant shadows upon the walls of his home. That's right. _His_ home. The one his masters allowed for him to stay in for as long as he wanted. And as long as he stayed there, he'd have to protect it for it now was his own.

He lifted off a Leopard rug off from the middle of the room, found a seal and charged it with his deep-blue chakra. A light surged across the room and a large chest appeared atop the seal, it's iron surface painted red by the light of the fire. The boy opened it quickly and with no noise, hoping that whatever the invader was, it wouldn't hear him. He searched the contents of the chest and found nothing. Usually, weapons of different varieties lay inside, just waiting to be used. But, he found nothing. What the fuck?

He left it there, and went upstairs to his masters' rooms. He knew they wouldn't be there, but their weapons no doubt would. He then heard a growl from below and knew that the invader, which could possibly be a creature of some sort, was in the first level looking for him. Damnit.

Once he reached the top step, he skipped before taking off on a sprint, abandoning stealth for speed. He looked inside Laito's room for some weapons. Nothing. Then Kurou's. Nothing. Aobi's. Nothing. Fuck this!

He then sped towards Genma's room. He found nothing there as well. He was a fucking blacksmith for _Kami's_ sake! This is ridiculous!

He then resorted to plan B. Since he was in Genma's room, he activated a seal that mirrored the one found under the sink. These seals were placed around the house for easy use, so there'd definitely be a chance to defend the house or a chance to escape from it at any time. He hurried up because he noticed Lady snarling at the door. Though he didn't feel anyone's presence, he could also hear the animalistic noises getting louder and hungrier.

The seal activation was complete as the metal barricade sealing Genma's window was now gone. Without missing a beat, he jumped through the glass with Lady following suit. They both landed softly on the ground from two stories in the air and made their way to The Anvil, where Genma worked on the weapons. He noticed that the crickets were no longer singing their songs and that the fireflies were no longer dancing. He then stowed those thoughts away as he made his way to The Anvil's storage room from the outside of the building. He tried to open the door, but found that it had been sealed shut with a pattern of seals he had no idea of solving at his current level. He muttered a curse before turning around and saw what exactly had been chasing him. His eyes widened into a glare when he saw a humanoid shape.

A man, in ANBU clothing had begun to stalk towards him like a predator. The growls that he produced weren't at all human, betraying the form of his attacker. But why a ninja from Konoha? Hadn't they kept his existence here in Lightning Country a secret? And why is he by himself? Every ninja, no matter what team they belonged in travelled in groups, even if it was just a pair. But this man, who had come to take away the blonde's life, stalked closer, as if the only thoughts that inhabited it's mind were pure instinct.

But then, Naruto saw it's eyes. Or rather, he didn't see them, for they didn't reflect the light a normal person's would. This person - this, this _thing_ - had black eyes! The boy then no longer felt fear, for anger took it's place. He no longer feared this thing for this shell of a person was possessed by a _Demon_!

"You bastard," Naruto roared hotly, "Get the hell out of him!"

"**I cannot do that,"** the demon licked it's lips with pleasure, **"for you are MY PREY!"**

Then, the possessed man sprinted towards the boy, as he was caught off guard by the sudden attack. The demon shell's hand extended towards Naruto's head, revealing it's sharp claws. Luckily, Lady acted fast as she, once again, carried Naruto on her back.

The blonde was relieved that his companion reacted so fast. He noticed that they were still moving and looked back to see that the demon was gaining on them. Quickly, too. "Head to the training grounds, girl. I have an idea."

The cub barked in acknowledgment and carried the boy up the league of stairs towards the hallowed training grounds and skidded to a stop once they reached it. Instantly, the Hunter-in-training began to focus his chakra to his core and released his weight seals. Although the weight wasn't much, it still helped him move five-fold compared to his spar with Kurou. He waited and waited until he heard the snarls and the wicked laughter coming from the demon. He readied himself, but when he looked towards Lady, he found her lying on the ground behind him unconscious. Standing on top of her was the demon, it's smile further serving Naruto's rage.

"You'll pay for that," he inhaled before blasting off to meet the demon in a chakra-powered punch.

"**You'll have to do better than that, **_**Kid."**_

"W-what?" the boy marvelled the demon's strength. "How can this be?"

"**You are weak."** the demon laughed as it sent the boy sprawling in the dirt. It stalked towards him now, a look of pleasure now in it's sickeningly mad face.

Then, Naruto disappeared. Appearing behind the damned creature before sending a flurry of punches and kicks to it's back. The demon roared in pain as it was sent directly downward into the stone floor. Not a moment too soon, the demon found himself surrounded by clones, each with a rasengan of their own. The demon-shell tried to escape, but he found himself tagged to the ground by two clones, each grabbing a hold of it's feet. The clones snickered coldly as they descended upon the poor creature with their techniques of battle. A smoke had engulfed the area at the event, and once it cleared up, only Naruto remained. The technique had caused for the training ground to be destroyed, but that didn't matter. He knew that the seals would later cause the land mass to regenerate.

He limped towards Lady when he heard a familiar voice, **"How dare you turn your back on me, human!"**

But before the boy could even turn around, he felt his ribs break and he was sent skidding towards the mountain wall. With one or two of his ribs cracked, he couldn't even yelp in pain. Too tired to stand, and too sore to scream, he looked up at the demon as it slowly prowled towards him, ready to finish him off.

"**Stupid **_**kid**_**. You think you can harm a creature such as I? You dare try to strip me of my pleasure? Insolent **_**kid**_**, I planned to devour you quickly, but now I feel quite differently. I think I will eat you piece by piece until you can no longer feel pain. Until you've suffered so much that you've died out of pain alone!"**

The demon was just in front of the blonde before lifting his prey up off the ground, **"I shall enjoy devouring you, **_**kid**_**."**

The thing then opened it's human-like mouth before it transformed into that of a shark's with rows of hideous teeth, seeking for the flesh that quenches it's thirst.

"You picked the wrong kid to mess with," the boy managed to breathe out the last word without revealing to the demon the pain made by merely speaking.

Before the demon could question him, jaws that were larger, more terrifying than his own bit and tore into the demon-shell's neck. Blood spurted out in gore, and the surprise attack forced the attacker to let go of the boy, dropping him into the stone with a hard thud.

"**What?"** the demon roared angrily as it held on to it's neck wound, futilely trying to help stop the blood flow. **"You shall pay for your insolence!"**

The demon was just about to launch it's counterattack at whatever had bitten into him before turning around to see a massive creature the size of a horse. Lady, now able to stand above the attacker roared in an almighty fury. No longer was she the playful cub, but a Fenrir in her true form. Noticing the demon still in it's stupor, the Fenrir took the chance to strike, lifting up a monstrous claw before slashing it down with the speed of a master swordsman. The demon had no chance. A bit later it was lodged in between the Fenrir's frightening jaws, trying to escape, but to no avail.

After a series of pain-stricken roars, the demon began to laugh madly, **"You two actually think a demon can die? There is no way you can kill me, even if you destroy this body. I will simply possess this **_**animal**_** and devour everything you've ever loved, kid! Ahaha!"**

"I won't let you!" The blonde stood up, mustering all the energy he _didn't_ have. He'd originally planned to face the demon here without destroying the mansion. But now that all his attempts had failed, what was he to do? And now that he was so close to winning, the demon was just about to possess his companion! Suddenly, a thought crossed his head - he had an idea, but he had to move quickly.

The demon-shell then pierced the night in a terrifying shriek before a ghastly figure arose from the shell of man that it had come to possess. It was in the process of transferring into the Fenrir, but it was interrupted when the boy threw a small, ritual knife towards the demon-shell's chest, effectively stopping the transfer process. Lady dropped the possessed man into the ground out of the pain caused by the demon nearly possessing her. She yelped aloud before collapsing in a heap, still in her true form. She was unconscious again.

The demon stood up, writhing and gasping in pain as the offending knife burned it's skin in a holy flame. What in the world was this weapon? Why hadn't he seen it coming? He tried to pry it off, but was interrupted when the boy galloped towards him and jumped into the air before delivering a swift kick to the knife on the vessel's chest. The demon's true ghastly form escaped from it's shell's body until the corpse was properly exorcised. The demon's gaseous It then dropped to the ground with a sickening crunch as the ritual knife, the legendary Colt - the blade that can kill anything, stabbed further into the vile body.

Naruto didn't think about retrieving his legendary weapon, for he had to check if his friend was all right. He limped to her and checked her vital signs. Everything was okay, thank Kami! She was still in her true form probably because she had used up too much energy to revert back to her smaller form again. He laughed tiredly at his victory, his first demon finally slayed.

"I-I did it. I passed…" His mind began to succumb to unconsciousness as he celebrated his win.

Moments after the boy began to drift away, four shadowy figures, shrouded in dark cloaks, entered the training grounds quietly and swiftly. They all had surrounded the boy and one of them picked him up. One of the others flashed a hand signal and the corpse of the ex-vessel disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving the Colt. He picked it up, marvelling at it's possibilities for assassination, but decided to stow it in a pouch.

One of the cloaked figures took off it's hood, revealing Genma, "What do you think he meant when he said 'I passed'?"

"I don't know," one of the figures said before it too took off it's dark hood to reveal Laito before walking towards his fellow hunter and smacked him on the head. "But if it found out about the test, then it's all my idiot brother's fault!"

"Ow! The hell you did that for, bitch?" Kurou snapped. "Don't make me stab you with the Colt!"

"It doesn't matter," the last figure ignored Laito's 'jerk' remark and revealed himself to be Aobi. "What matters is that the boy passed the test. Now we can celebrate."

"Amen to that!" Kurou said before disappearing into the night. The others followed suit. Although it was late, the nearest tavern was open, and they had plenty of reason to drink for their student had officially entered their ranks.

* * *

*****Elsewhere*****

The two figures unfolded their wings as they prepared to take flight into the crisp, night air. They had enjoyed the battle between the demon and the boy and his Fenrir comrade, despite the fact that the demon wasn't, at all real. Their spot from the top of the mansion served them as a good view of the _chosen boy's improved skills. Truly, the world's fate was in good hands._

"Not bad," Gabriel snorted as he began to stretch their wings before the long flight ahead. "He's a little sloppy, but I'm sure he'll make a great warrior."

"Indeed," Castiel smiled quite awkwardly at his blonde friend, not entirely used to the gesture. "However, he still has a long road ahead before he can fulfill his destiny."

The other angel only sniffed in agreement before they descended from the roof, only to soar above the clouds a mere second later. They'd missed the feeling of flying just for fun, so the sudden rush of nostalgia had filled their thoughts with joy once again. Today was a victory for heaven's army, for the world's saviour was slowly on his way to fulfilling his destiny. They chose not to teleport back to their realm, but opted to stay and celebrate in the realm of man instead.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**So, I trust that you enjoyed the latest installment of the series. Sorry for having left you all mysteriously a while back. I am definitely to blame for it. At the time, I had no idea where I wanted to go in life and needed the extra time to go out and see for myself what type of man I wanted to be. And after a bit of soul-searching, I found what I wanted to do with myself. Nevertheless, I'm back, and I'm back for good. I still haven't forgotten the direction in which I wanted this story to aim towards, so I'll be updating this story a lot in the upcoming months. As a side note, the poll is still open as to what weapon you'd like Naruto in this story to master. So far, the main favourite is the Scythe. But, there are many more equally deadly options, so be sure to check them out as well! **

**I have plenty of plans for Naruto for the first season of this story. And don't worry, he WILL return to Konoha.**

**PS: Be sure to comment on the reviews on what type of supernatural critter you'd love for Naruto to fight. It can be anything, be it a dragon, a lich, a vampire, a werewolf...heck, I'd even throw in a few japanese demons to mix things up a bit. **

**R&R! **


	6. Chapter 6 Lets Get This Show On The Road

**Author's Note:** This is my sixth chapter, I really hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it. I placed special care into making sure that each and every word captured how I wanted you readers to feel about a certain character, place, or thing. I really took my time into making this one perfect, seeing as how this is Naruto's first Hunt! Now, without further adieu, let's get this show on the road!

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto Franchise. If I did, then Bee would sing metal instead of rap. Trust me, that would be great.**

* * *

**1 Week Earlier**

Thunder roared with life outside the abandoned walls of the macabre mansion as three dark figures approached it's old, ebony gates. It was and it had been raining all night, but the weather hadn't stopped them from their goal. A single, rusty chain connected by an equally old padlock stopped them from entering the unkempt property. Without a word, one of the figures had summoned forth a sword from it's sheathe and struck the aging chains, causing them to break under the force of the descending steel. Clanging could be heard as the rusted chains snapped apart and fell in the muddy ground. The chain's release allowed the gate to open on it's own, creaking eerily as the gate spread wide invitingly. They felt as if they were sheep heading into wolves' territory. After a brief exchange of looks, they ventured forth. They followed an old asphalt path to the mansion's main entrance, noticing how the surrounding fields were tall and weedy due to not having been taken care of. Of course, they already knew that the property hadn't been touched for nearly three decades, so it was expected. As they made their way to the front entrance, they stopped to marvel at the intricate designs of the archaic door, each figure wondering how it must've looked like in it's prime.

One of the cloaked figures, the shortest among the three, held it's hand towards the rusted door handle to open it, but didn't get the chance to as the wind drove the doors wide open. The abrupt sound of the door almost swinging out of it's hinges alerted the three as this was the second time that it had happened. Could this have been a sign? They exchanged looks once more. Each cloaked figure noticed that the other was nervous. Should they continue? There was a brief hesitation, but they all nodded once again before carefully walking inside. They didn't dare close the door behind them, for fear of angering the spirits of the decaying building.

Now that they were safe from the Storm's angry assault, they each had pulled down their hoods revealing their three young forms. The shortest among the three was a girl with a pale complexion and long, dark hair, who assumed leadership and pulled out a dry branch from her rucksack. She then took a ripped piece of cloth from one of her pockets and wrapped it around one end of the large stick. It wasn't long before one of her friends took out some oil from his own pack and helped her create a makeshift torch with the help of a small fire jutsu they'd learned in the Academy. They traversed through the mansion, searching for a place to rest. Their shadows danced playfully from room to room as the ebony female's flame flickered under the dryness of the deserted bastion's roof. They ignored the cobwebs and the dust and all the creeping things that lived in and around it as their search finally ended. Eventually, they reached a large, circular library, it's dark, wooden shelves littered with tattered pages of lore. It was a waste how such a magnificent collection was subjected to such enfeeblement as the past owners had apparently disappeared without a trace. They set their things down in the middle of the room, far from the dusty bookshelves which had covered the walls of the aging library. Despite the empty library's overall safety from the rain, the three children could hear the storm growing fiercer. A constant crashing on the ceiling could be heard as the rain buffeted the roof like a drum.

One of the two males, a boy who's wet, red hair clung to his head due to the rain's transgressions, whispered to the girl, "Ruuka, we shouldn't have come here. You know what they say about this place. All of our senpai said that its haunted."

"He's right, Ruuka," the other boy, a pale blonde, had produced an oil lamp from his pack and borrowed the girl's torch to light it. "I don't know why, but I'm getting a strange vibe from this place. It doesn't feel _natural_ - like we're not welcome. You saw what happened at the gates and at the front door, right?"

"It was just a coincidence." The girl hook her head. Tired, she looked for a place to lie down in and found herself a table and laid on top of it, using a nearby book as a pillow. She looked towards the dirty ceiling as she continued, "Besides, sensei told us that the only way we'd get to pass the genin exam was if we were to stay here for the night. Now I don't know about you guys, but I think dealing with our parents for failing the exam for the second time is scarier than dealing with a ghost that clearly doesn't exist."

"A-alright." The redhead gave in, trying to shake away the nerves. "If you think we can do this, then I'll stay."

"Oh, cool! Look at this!" the girl said in excitement as she held up the book that she'd been laying her head on. "It looks like a journal."

"Let's see…" The blonde approached her, the redhead a mere step behind him.

"The contents of the book looks pretty boring - wait a minute. Look here!" She then pointed to a line of crimson scribbles at the bottom margin of a journal entry. "It says to go to page three-hundred."

She looked mesmerized as she flipped through the torn pages and found the one she was looking for. It was the redhead's turn to read the red scribbles. "Turn back to the page you came from."

"What?" The girl questioned absurdly. "We just came from that page!"

"Just do it," said the blonde-haired boy.

But as soon as she did, she was surprised to find that a new set of scribbles had replaced the ones that directed them to page three-hundred. But still, she read aloud, "Now that you've come this far in your journey, flip towards the last page."

But as soon as they did, they gulped at what they found, sweat now protruding from their foreheads. The blonde was the one brave enough to read the large, crimson writing out loud, "T-thank you, Ruuka, Yuri, and Dai for playing my little game. However, the game isn't finished. I look forward to meeting you soon…"

"T-the hell?" Dai, the redhead shouted nervously, a grave look on his face.

"Don't worry." The girl said reassuringly. "I'm sure it was sensei who wrote that. Why else would he get us to come here? This is probably a test or something."

"I highly doubt that…" Dai muttered as he'd begun to pack up his things to leave.

"She's right." Yuri, the blonde, placed his hand on his friend's arm, effectively stopping the boy from leaving. "Sensei must've placed the book here. It's probably a test. I think that if we pass it we can become genin. Don't you want to come home to your parents with the headband?"

"I do." The boy nodded after a brief hesitation. Though the hesitation worried his friends, they couldn't ask any more of him.

"Good. Now all we have to do now is fall asleep. And when we wake up tomorrow morning we'll come back to school."

The three academy students began to set up camp, producing from their packs their sleeping bags while using the lamp as warmth. The soft flames were too weak to illuminate the whole room, giving them a sense of discomfort - if the dust and the creepy-crawly's weren't discomforting enough. The creeping dark stared at them. And they stared right back. It was as if they were on one side of an ongoing fight between light and darkness. Though the light was keeping them safe, it felt as if the creatures of the dark were waiting…waiting for the flames to die out before they could invade their relative peace. The two boys slept on the floor, while the girl, not wanting to encounter any rats or bugs, chose to sleep on the table. She still used the old journal as a pillow. She began to feel an itch at her side so she reached for it. Then, she felt it on a different spot and reached for it yet again. After relieving herself of the itch, she heard someone whispering her name hauntingly.

"What?" She queried her two friends, knowing quite well that they also had trouble falling asleep. According to their tossing and turning, that is. It must've been them who'd called for her.

"What?" they replied. The two boys didn't sit up to answer her back.

"Did either of you say my name?"

"No, we didn't, Ruuka. Let us sleep." The blonde muttered haplessly.

"But I heard someone say my name…" The girl grew chill as a shiver creeped down her spine.

"This isn't funny!" The redhead chided accusingly. "I bet you're just saying that so we'd run away and you'd be a genin by yourself."

"Fine, I'll stop." She blew her ebony, silken hair out of her face. She was probably hearing things.

It wasn't long before they'd begun to sleep, all except for Ruuka who was still affected by the deathly voice. She felt that same itch from before, so she reached to scratch it. But upon touching her skin, she felt someone's fingers meet hers. She gasped and turned around, only to meet an obscure face. She didn't get a good look, but it was definitely the face of a man. She screamed and pulled herself away fast enough to roll off the side of the table. If her shriek hadn't alerted her friends, then her landing did.

"What the hell?" The blonde stood up in high alert. "You saw a bug or something?"

He helped her back up, but her knees were too much like jelly to keep her standing. She was shaking so much that her friends had to clamp her hard enough to remain still. They noticed that she was very pale. She was too frightened to answer them, but she managed to point towards where she saw the man.

"What?" Yuri took on a more serious tone. "What are you trying to tell us?"

"I-I saw someone…"

"Who? Was it sensei? Did you see our sensei?" He repeated, only to receive a negative in response. "Are you sure you saw someone?"

"Yes!" She screeched furiously, "Just like how I'm sure someone said my name a few minutes ago!

"W-wait a minute…" She continued, pointing towards her other friend's sleeping bags. "W-where's Dai?"

But before Yuri could answer, the soft flames of the lamp had snuffed out mysteriously. The light no longer was on their side. Their screams rang out throughout the night, only to be muffled by the crying weather.

* * *

*****Present Day*****

Despite his teachers' warnings, Naruto chose to vent off his rage silently in training as the memories of the past day filled his head. He'd known that it was a test from the very start. Several signs had pointed out to it. The first sign was that something had broken into the estate. _Nothing_ could get past the seals, not even a kage-level ninja. The second sign was that he'd heard absolutely no signs of wildlife in the garden when he'd broken out of Genma's window. It must've meant that in between the time when he _did_ actually hear wildlife and the time that he _didn't_ was most likely the time where Kurou must've cast the genjutsu on him. Damn him and damn those Hunters for not at least warning him ahead of time about the final test. The last sign of it all being a test was the most obvious. The nickname that the fake demon gave him.

"Hey, Kid!" Kurou yelled at the boy as he was currently staring at a random spot on the ground within the training area.

_Kid_, Naruto cursed mentally. That name was what had confirmed his theory of yesterday's events of being a test. No one called him that stupid name besides his idiotic teacher, Kurou. Naruto looked towards his smiling teacher. The man, in turn, flinched as the boy's furious glare invaded his soul. Kurou rubbed his short, brown trusses apologetically.

"Still angry, kid?" The man approached his student until he was a mere three feet away. Sure, Naruto was scary when he was mad, but there was no way he'd let the boy affect him so easily. When Kurou didn't receive even a look as much as a reply, he continued, "Look. You have my word that yesterday was the final test. Now that you passed, we can now officially call you our pupil. And besides, Laito and I received a far worse test before we were officially inducted into Hunter kind. We had to Hunt an actual creature, not an illusion."

"But I _wanted _to slay a demon. The fact that it was an illusion took that away from me."

"Even if it wasn't real, it was still as powerful as an average demon, and the fact that you defeated it at your age makes me proud as a teacher. Besides, there's no way we'd actually set a thing like that loose in our house and our backyard. Imagine all the damage we'd have to clean up…"

The boy could only huff in response as his master made a good point. You could never argue with these guys. "Everything in your property could repair itself about an hour after getting damaged thanks to the seals surrounding it. That includes the house as well. But you make a good point. Now, why did you have to interrupt my training?"

The master Hunter shook his head and laughed at the kid's stubbornness, but he gestured for them to head towards the mansion. "Aobi wants to see you. Something about your Colt and getting you ready for your mission. You'd probably want to hear it 'cos everything that man says is money."

Without any further words of resistance, the boy shunshined into the estate, leaving behind a lazy instructor. His thoughts grew darker as he recounted the way his disciple had a bloodthirsty look in his baby blue's. Naruto made it clear that he _wanted_ to slay a demon. Not only that, but Kurou knew that Naruto had a sort of vendetta against demons, a vengeance similar to his own once upon a time. Kurou shook his head at the path Naruto was walking in. He knew all too well that the path of vengeance wasn't a glorious path at all. He knew exactly why Naruto wanted revenge on those damned creatures. However, his instincts told him that there was something else. There was probably another, more darker reason for his little blonde student to hate the damn things with such intensity. Damn, even _he_ didn't hate the demons that much back when he wanted revenge of his own. Just what hell did they do to the Naruto to affect him so much?

"You may enter, boy" Aobi said from his table as Naruto opened the door to his room. The fourteen year-old breathed in amazement as he took in the beauty of the relics of great antiquity adorning the Huntmaster's walls. Ancient weapons and skulls of some of the world's legendary creatures, as well as ancient, unreadable texts, were framed high up on the walls as if it were a trove of accomplishments. An old man's memories, Naruto entertained. There was a flight of stairs separating the old man's bedroom from his personal study at the top of the stairs. Naruto saw Aobi standing up from his chair and walking down the narrow flight of stairs to meet him.

"I see that you enjoy what you see, Naruto," Aobi smiled as a twinkle flashed in the boy's eyes. This was the first time that the young one had entered his study. The amazement was evident on his face. "Hey, you 'wanna see something cool?"

Aobi didn't wait for the blonde to nod his head, hastily making his way back up the stairs, leading Naruto to his grand study table. Once he and the boy made it to the large, wooden lectern, he reached into one of the drawers and pulled out a rugged, black book of which was carefully wrapped in a plastic bag. He cautiously began to open it and placed the old book into Naruto's astonished hands.

"Whoa, what is it?" The boy asked wide-eyed. Aobi chuckled and rested his hand on the boy's shoulder the way a grandfather would do to his grandson after a long separation. Naruto carefully flipped through the delicate, oxidized pages, afraid that it will fall apart in his small hands.

"This hear is an old journal of the man who made the Colt a legend. The Hunter wielded the weapon with such great skill that he became the father of modern Hunters today. His name was Dean Winchester. Of course, the Colt took the form of a different weapon at the time, but it's powers were as irrefutably certain as it is today. Together with that weapon, the Brothers Winchester hunted many demons and monsters alike. This book is my gift to you for entering our ranks."

Naruto's brows furrowed as he couldn't make heads or tails at the old scripture. "What the heck? It doesn't make any sense."

"I know." The old man began to laugh mirthfully. "This book is _thousands_ of years old. Back then, people used a different script and a different universal language back then. I'll teach you the language one day, but there's some words that even _I _can't comprehend myself. It's a wonder how this book has held itself together for so long. It's almost as if-"

"As if it were magic…" Naruto continued. He didn't notice the soft twinkle in Aobi's eyes. Naruto tried to shake away his awe, giving the old man a look that told Aobi that he wanted to focus on the task at hand. "So, you called for me?"

"I did," the aging man simply said, shoving the plastic bag into a drawer after Naruto carefully pocketed Dean's journal. "I would firstly like to congratulate you for successfully passing the final test. Your teachers will be taking your training up a few notches for now on. But for now, you have a mission sent to you personally from the Conclave."

"I know. Laito said that they'd be evaluating my performance in the hunt so they can train me based on how well I handle myself."

"Yes," the elderly man nodded, walking towards a strongbox that seemed to have 'poofed' on his desk in a light brume of smoke , "but you cannot do so without your necessities…"

But before Naruto could attest his confusion, Aobi bestowed upon him even more gifts. The man handed him a large rucksack with a label that said "Hunter Supplies" on it. He'd seen Laito, Kurou and - in some cases - Genma, packing supplies into it before their hunts. He'd also been told that these bags, which held almost everything a Hunter needed to exorcise, slay or capture prey, were in fact resistant to the elements. He spotted Laito sparring with Kurou one day and saw Laito engulfing the older brother with a volley of intense flames. Kurou, who'd forgetfully forgotten to discard his rucksack, instantly caught on fire. And though his clothes were no more, his rucksack was the only thing not ruined. Thankfully, he kept an extra pair of training clothes inside his pack.

"T-thank you, sir!" Naruto exclaimed, but he was hushed as the man merely smiled and signalled that he wasn't finished.

Aobi pulled out a scroll and unsealed a small, red-leather book. "This is what we call a Grimoire."

Naruto grabbed the small tome from the man's hands and quickly skimmed through text's contents as the old man continued. "Grimoires are basically just condensed collections of information on all the known prey. They're organized in a way that you can flip to a certain species or race that you want to look up with efficiency. I've had my life saved with the knowledge these books contain several times throughout my career. There were even times where I was so desperate that I pulled one of these babies out during a battle with one of the creatures on my wall."

Aobi motioned to a monstrous skull that looked humanoid, but was far larger than a human skull. "We call him the _Wendigo_. These creatures are rare, but they sure packed a punch! Anyways, when you're stuck or are in a pinch, don't hesitate to refer to these books when you're in trouble. Has Laito told you about how we update our information?"

"Yes," the stowed the Grimoire into his rucksack before continuing. "Laito told me that the Conclave receives new information that Hunters like you guys - I mean, _us_ - discover. Then, the Conclave publishes these findings and sends them to major Hunter cells and clans, hoping that we will have that much more of a better chance to survive."

"That's right," Aobi smiled as memories of his own career raced across his mind. "The same goes for your Grimoire. Every month, we'll replace it with a newer, more updated version, so don't get to attached to the one you have currently."

Naruto chuckled at the thought, "Don't worry, old man, I won't. And I'll be sure to rely on my Grimoire should the need arise."

"Good. Oh, and one more thing! I almost forgot."

Naruto was left aghast as the Aobi produced from the strongbox a Hunter's cloak, ash-grey in colour. Now thoroughly emptied, the strongbox disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "Now that you're one of us, Naruto, you can finally wear this cloak with pride. Think of it as a badge or a ninja headband, only it is more exclusive. With it, you'll be recognized as a Hunter by other Hunters, and you'll be able to enter Hunter-run establishments as well. And no, you can't enter the Conclave without an invitation of entry. It takes someone of a high enough ranking to freely come in and out of the Conclave."

"Wow…" The boy was left speechless as he wrapped the beautiful ash-grey cloth around his neck, successfully concealing his entire body above his shins in mystery. "Thank you, sir. Trust me, you won't regret taking me in and making me a Hunter!"

"About that. About me not regretting not making you a Hunter, I mean. I still have my doubts." The man's once smiling face took on a darker shade, a shadow passing over his complexion as he turned around. Naruto was frustrated as he was now facing the wise man's back.

"What? What's wrong?"

"The Colt. I have it. You lost it when you defeated the demon illusion. I had Kurou retrieve it for me when you were unconscious."

"That's right." Naruto grew suspicious of the man's intentions with his weapon. _His_ weapon. The weapon in which the angels trusted _him_ with, and no one else. "Please give it back, then, if you have it. It's _my_ burden."

"I will." Aobi faced Naruto once again, the Colt now in his hand as if he somehow conjured it out of thin air. He played with it, tossing it about as if it were just any knife. As if it were _his_. "It is a marvellous weapon, you know. Able to kill any creature with one mortal blow. Able to do the one thing a mere human cannot…kill a demon. As you already know it is impossible for a Hunter to kill a demon. We can only exorcise them, force them out of their vessels and corner them until they return to Hell. But with this almighty weapon, we can end a demon's existence absolutely. Without question. Also, it can possibly kill things that are even more powerful, more _darker _than demons, as impossible as that may sound."

The boy reached out for the man to place the Colt back into his small hands. And he did, only he didn't let go. They now had the small blade in a tug of war, a war Naruto knew that he wouldn't win. Naruto gave the old man a questioning look before he continued. "I cannot give you back your weapon until you make a solemn oath."

"And what oath is that?"

"To swear to protect the _balance_ with your life. To promise not to kill a human unless it interferes with the hunt. And finally, to offer your life as a servant under the Conclave for the rest of your career. Oh, don't look at me like that. You and I both know that the Conclave looks out for humanity's best interest, despite the fact that we cannot be appreciated by the very same people we are sworn to protect. Swearing to this oath will not only allow you to officially become a Hunter under our discipleship, but a servant under the most powerful, most secretive organization known to man."

Naruto didn't speak. He'd been contemplating this ever since the moment he first surfaced the moist soil of his grave. He knew he had a choice. He could follow the path that the angels laid out for him - become a powerful Hunter in preparation of the apocalypse. Or, he could do things his own way and walk away from these men with the Colt in hand. He could turn his back on destiny and keep the power of the legendary blade all to himself. With it, he can return back to Konoha, become the Hokage and live a complete life. He had the right to love, life, and happiness. He had the right to it all. He knew it and his masters knew it too. In fact, they'd willingly let him go away should he choose the path of desertion. No one asked him to stay. Besides, he was never one to believe in destiny. Why should he follow a path already set up for him when he could find happiness instead? _He_ was in control, not the angels, not the Hunters, not anybody.

"Well?" Aobi's eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Fine. I accept." Even though he was given options, he knew that his decision affected the world's future. He had the right to be selfish and run away with the Colt to Konoha. But if he did so, then what of the humans? What of the world's fate? Without him putting his life on the line, without him sacrificing the life he was generously given back, without him putting humanity before himself - without him _period_, everything and everyone would be consumed in a terrible maelstrom of Hellfire. He'd been through that fiery torment once before. No one deserved that. No one.

He didn't believe in destiny. He didn't believe in himself. He didn't even believe that this path was the right path, but he had to take the risk for humanity's sake. He had to take the risk so that no one would _ever _go through a torment that they did not deserve.

And with that, the old Huntmaster released his grip on the Colt, returning the boy his ceremonial blade. That was it. His path was now set. All he had to do now was _survive_. If he really was this so-called _Chosen One_, if he really was meant to save the world from the apocalypse, then what he needed to do now was to stiffen up his upper lip and buck up to whatever came his way. Sounds easy, right?

"Good." The old man sighed in relief, sitting down into the chair that he left prior to Naruto's visit. "Now, a final thing before you head to the Anvil to get outfitted for the hunt…"

"What is it?" The boy inquired as he sealed the ancient weapon into the same halo-shaped tattoo that Castiel sealed into him several weeks ago.

"The fact that the Colt is a legendary weapon makes it _very_ sought out for." He said quietly. Naruto nodded firmly. "You must make sure that the Conclave _must not_ know about it's existence. For if they do, then it can spell disaster upon this home. They'll not only kill you, Lady, and everyone in here, but they'll also wipe out any records that prove our existence. They'll kill anyone and _every one _of the people you befriended in your past life. They won't even hesitate to wipe a whole village clean across the map as long as their existence isn't compromised, even if that village is Konoha. We'll all just be dust in the wind. And all that for just a mere weapon."

"I see," Naruto muttered darkly. "So this is why Castiel told me to never let it go free from my hands. Even though it's so powerful, literally anyone can wield it, which is what makes it so dangerous. It's influence runs much deeper than that of a mere weapon."

"That's right. Because it can kill just about any abnormal out there, it's worth has long been fought for. Us humans have waged wars over this weapon for thousands of years. It doesn't matter if it has no special powers against mankind, just as long as it has powers period. They'll do whatever it takes even to get a small glimpse of it. Promise me one thing, boy. Promise me that even though you're not allowed to harm a human being due to our laws, do not hesitate to kill anyone that finds out that you are it's chosen holder. Don't hesitate or else everything you've worked hard for will fall down the drain."

"I promise, Aobi-san. No one will know about it's existence. And if they do, then they'll be dealt with."

"Good," Aobi's smile returned as the boy had finally known the true burden that the Colt came with, "now get out of my office. I was reading before you so rudely interrupted me!"

Naruto laughed as he climbed down the stairs and made his way to Genma to prepare for his mission. Though he was happy at finally getting his weapon back, he was ashamed at suspecting some sort of betrayal from the elder Hunter. He knew better than that. But, he was glad. He now knew where he stood, and he was now sure of what path to follow.

Aobi raggedly sighed beneath his breathe. If his suspicions were right, then this boy would live a very long, very _hard_ life. A Hunter's life was not one of glory or valour. His own life had been one without mercy. It had been one of bloodshed, and it had definitely been one of heartache. There was no doubt that Naruto would experience the same, if not worse. All in all, he was both happy and sad that Naruto chose the right path. He was happy because Naruto had the potential to fix the balance and bring about a golden age of peace, but he was sad because Naruto was still a boy. A _boy_. Now, hecould never live a normal life, as did Aobi or anyone cursed with the life of a Hunter. Sure, Aobi had lived a life of satisfaction, and maybe even contentment, but not happiness. Never happiness.

Naruto knocked on the iron, platinum-bolted backdoor of the Anvil. His soft rapping reverberated lowly with sounds able to stir the whole village. It was still early in the morning, and business hours hadn't started yet, so he figured the only person inside was Genma. A loud "Come in!" was heard from the working man, so the boy let himself in. He cringed just as he had opened the door. Steam and heat emanated from the forge and the furnace, making Naruto's eyes water.. How could anyone stand this heat, much less work in it? The rise in temperature forced the boy to shift in his place before going in to meet the man who was busy pounding away at a piece of layered steel. The man brown trousers, but he wore no shirt. Sensing Naruto's presence, Genma turned around and flashed Naruto a kind toothpick-totting smile.

"I see you've spoken to Aobi already." He said as he settled a glowing hot katana into a tub of water. The cool-down process sent plumes of steam Naruto's way, forcing the man to laugh in amusement despite Naruto's impatience. He wore an old bandana on his head, which served to both hide his shoulder-length, straight brown hair and keep his sweat from interfering with his job. By now, the water was probably close to boiling, but it was fine as long as it cooled down the tempered blade. He was proud of his work, able to turn a four-day job of hammering mere hunks of steel into that of a masterpiece in the span of just a day. It wasn't just the speed in which he'd created custom blades that made his humble little shop popular among the Ashagari populace. It was the secret recipe in which was handed down his line that gave the blades great quality. The recipe consisted of a perfect balance between the malleable hardiness of low-carbon steel and the sharp, yet brittleness of high-carbon steel. Balance, to both Hunters and his family, was key.

Naruto didn't answer. He merely waited for the man to outfit him for the hunt ahead. As soon as the sword stopped glowing, Genma placed it in a cloth and laid it back on the forge. He'd finish it off later on. "Okay, Naruto, hand me your rucksack."

The blonde didn't hesitate to follow the older man's directions. He observed Genma, as the man walked towards a storage closet and placed rock salt and several scrolls inside the many pockets of Naruto's large pack. "Most of these scrolls hold supplies for exorcism, both for demonic and ethereal creatures alike. Obviously, the scroll that says 'Med' contains various herbs and drugs for medical purposes. The scroll with the large 'F' is for your food. Of course, we really mean rations. They're empty right now, but today's mission is in Kumogakure, so you'll be able to stock up in the market place once you get there. The scrolls that are unmarked are for sealing purposes, so you can do whatever you want with those."

"Thanks." Naruto nodded as his fellow Hunter continued to stow away more and more tools inside his backpack. He wondered how such a bag, despite it's relatively large size, could hold so much without bloating up like a balloon. Perhaps there was an enchantment placed on it?

As soon as he finished stocking the boy's rucksack, he zipped it closed and gave it a good tap. He faced the young Hunter with an assuring grin. "I'm proud that you've come so far, Naruto. Believe me, I've seen you from the start, seen you grow up. I'm truly glad that you chose to follow in _his_ footsteps."

The perplexity clearly showed on the boy's tanned complexion, "What do you mean? Have we met before in my past life? And what do you mean in following in 'his' footsteps?"

"Oh, you don't remember me? I assumed you did. I was the acting-proctor in your chunin exam. I replaced the Hayate guy who kept coughing during the preliminaries, remember? And don't worry, about the other remark. I was just taken back at the nostalgia, is all."

"Oh yeah!" Naruto suddenly perked up, "What ever happened to the sick guy?"

"He died," The older man grunted as he shook his head in bitter contemplation. "But that's not important. What _is_ important, however, is getting you ready for the hunt. As you've probably noticed, I didn't make you any chakra-infusible weapons as of yet. I'll only make you some once you've successfully mastered your elements. And don't worry about how I know about your training. Kurou's a loud-mouth, after all."

Naruto scoffed at that. Now matter how much of a douche his master was, he was still a loudmouth through and through. "That sounds like him all right."

Genma nodded as he closed in on a large weapons rack that hung on the wall. "Anyways, just because I didn't make you any chakra-infusible weapons doesn't mean you will be fighting unarmed. Here, I prepared these for you."

Naruto's mouth watered as Genma motioned for every weapon that hung on the weapons rack. _Every _weapon. Naruto spotted several blades as well as some very exotic weapons such as a scythe and a couple kamas. Oh, he'd _definitely_ have fun with those. Genma merely continued as the boy didn't seem to shake out of his dream-like stupor. "As you may know, Kurou and Laito have weapons that are blessed with the powers of exorcism. And though we don't yet have the resources yet to make you one of your own, it'll be your responsibility to get _acquainted_ with these weapons. Of course, our meaning of acquaintance actually means that we want you to use them at the level of mastery."

"W-what? You want me to master all of those?"

"Of course we do." Genma didn't hesitate to chuckle evilly at the boy's disdain. "Making a blessed weapon is hard work. It requires the metals of dozens of metal crucifixes, each of them blessed by a priest of a certain deity. Then, we cool down the weapon with holy water, as well as sealing the metal with several ingredients, all of which help boost the weapon's overall powers of exorcism. These weapons are extremely expensive and are time-consuming to make, so we need to see which weapon you're best at before we invest in making you one."

"I see. But why would I need blessed weaponry if I already have the Colt? I bet the Colt is much better in terms of power, and it's really great in terms of indoor and close-quarters combat due to it's small size.."

"That's very true, but I'll show you what I'm talking about rather than explaining it. Hand me the Colt for a minute. You can trust me."

Naruto, after a brief hesitation, unsealed the Colt and handed it to Genma. The man stood there, focusing on the small, ceremonial blade. Naruto felt a rush of chakra, and saw that the chakra that permeated from the man's chakra was a vibrant green. "I-is that wind chakra?"

"Yes. The problem is that it's damn near impossible to channel chakra into the Colt. It wasn't made for Man to fight other men. It was made for Man to fight everything else. I can only guess that it was made for Man's survival.

"My weapons are all blessed weaponry, as you can see." Genma motioned for a chest inside his desk and opened it, revealing a plethora of black-dyed metal weaponry. Although they didn't look any different from normal weapons, Naruto knew that they were designed for two things. Concealment and efficiency. "I can easily channel my wind chakra through them unlike your Colt, and they can exorcise any creature that can be exorcised. So basically, they're also more versatile than your Colt. I can rely on my skill to kill my foes and not some ancient Hunter magic."

"I see, but that still doesn't change the fact that the Colt is the ultimate Hunter weapon. Why should I master every single weapon in the world if the only weapon I need mastery in is the Colt?"

Genma sighed in exasperation, rubbing the bridge of his nose in contemplation of how to properly word his thoughts. Clearly, the boy didn't want to spend time on other weapons when he could just focus on the fabled weapon called the Colt. "That's also very true, Naruto. The problem is that using the Colt should be your last line of defense, especially if you're working with people who don't know about us Hunters or else they'll try to steal it. It's even worse if you use it in front of people who _are_ Hunters because they'll recognize that you have the Colt and would either report directly to the Conclave or kill you and take it for themselves. And believe me, dispatching a disciple like you as easier than a walk in the park. Err, no offence…"

"None taken." Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Good. So basically, your use of the Colt should be as limited as possible. It should be the last thing you use should the need arise. Your life is very important, Naruto, but you need to acknowledge that losing the Colt would be just the same as bringing upon the Apocalypse. Besides, if you rely on one thing for too long, then you'll be too dependant. I've been a Hunter for a short time, and I've noticed that Hunters are no one-trick ponies. We have to be versatile and adaptable as well as being prepared. I remember my first Hunt. I relied solely on my ninja skills and I almost died. It could've been avoided, but my inexperience in sealing creatures almost cost me my life."

"All right," Naruto understood, "I'll give these weapons a try then."

Genma nodded happily as Naruto collected the weapons that he was given and sealed them within a few scrolls as well as his body. He'd be damned if the "Chosen One" relied too much on a single weapon, as powerful and as legendary as that weapon may be. He knew a clan once that relied too much on one aspect of their fighting capabilities. Both their egos and their dependence nearly wiped them all. That clan was the Uchiha. He shuddered at the thought of Naruto doing the same with the Colt.

"So, is there any advice you can give me before I meet my masters for my mission?"

"All I can say is to take care of yourself and not to forget the lessons you've been taught so far. Your teachers will be aiding you, so my advice isn't very needed. By the way, I'll be seeing you around since I've heard that you're a wind element like I am."

Naruto grinned before expressing goodbye.

Genma scoffed at how ironic this whole situation was. Naruto, the son of a legendary Hunter was given a weapon able to surpass even his father and possibly even the legendary Brothers Winchester themselves. He figured it wouldn't take long for the boy to get accustomed to the weapons he'd dumped on him. He expected great things from the boy.

Naruto exited the room and chose to head out through the store and not the back, seeing as how his two teachers were probably waiting for him at the front of the estate. They may be taskmasters, but they were punctual taskmasters. Hard-asses, Naruto mused. He passed by hand-made racks and shelves, rows of weapons born of the forge and of Genma's skilled hands. He hadn't yet seen the enigmatic man in combat, but if his combative skills were comparable to his metallurgy and his wisdom, then he was probably fierce in combat as well. Genma's masterpieces were nothing short of the word. Naruto didn't doubt that a single touch on any of the blades the Hunter made could easily saw through bone. Naruto sighed in disbelief. Were they so confident in him that they believed that he could master such deadly weapons at such a fast pace? Though the Genma didn't specify what time he expected to attain the resources necessary to make a blessed weapon, Naruto expected it would take no longer than a few months. And a few measly months was pushing it, too. But, Naruto didn't doubt his masters' training. He doubted only himself.

The blonde stopped mid-step as reached the door of the successful establishment. His hand came close to the door, but he didn't touch it, for something had just dawned on him. It wasn't that they had confidence in him. Not at all. They all knew that he was to either sink or swim. If he didn't master a single weapon by the time Genma receives the materials, then he'd end up dying on a mission due to ill-preparedness. It almost happened to Genma, so why couldn't it happen to him as well? And it wasn't even that long ago that the man had his first hunt either, so Naruto's chances were looking quite slim. Had his teachers spoken too soon when they told him he was ready for his first hunt? Naruto breathed in deeply, trying to maintain his composure. Nerves, he'd been told, were a Hunter's worst enemy. If he were to hesitate, then his performance would suffer. And should his performance suffer, then so would he.

He opened the door and saw that it was still dark out. The sounds of wildlife pervaded his thoughts and sparked the embers of nervousness in his belly, bringing it to life as it manifested into bright hot flames of excitement. Within the next two hours, he and his masters would travel to the main village and search around for the ghost, wherever the hell it may be. This was his first hunt. There was no room for error.

* * *

Naruto sighed once again, for what seemed to be the hundredth time today. It wasn't out of nervousness or disbelief. It was out of complete and utter boredom. After their long trek to the great village of Kumogakure, the village hidden in the mountains, the first thing they did was establishing a base of operations. They'd done that about a few hours ago, when it was close to noon. It didn't take long for them to unpack. And now, they each had gone their own way, gathering as much information as possible in regards to their prey. The spectral.

"Can I get you anything, kid?" A waiter awkwardly asked Naruto, who was making himself comfy on a restaurant's patio. The waiter tried to get a look of Naruto's face, but his cloak served to protect his identity. Naruto removed his curious eyes from the village's beautiful scenery as he turned to the waiter to reply.

"A bowl of ramen, please. Miso, if you have any."

"Oh - umm, sorry ramen isn't on the menu-"

"What?" Naruto glared hot, steaming daggers at the older boy, who was close to fainting at the sudden rise of killer intent. This couldn't be happening, Naruto thought. His hopes were crushed when he first found out that the Hunters didn't like to make ramen up in the Ninomiya mansion. And despite his attempts to scour the neighbouring village for even an ounce of ramen broth, his heart was shattered even further when he found that there was not a single noodle stand in the Ashagari township. He scoured the surrounding villages as well, as if he were a lab rat traversing a maze for it's food. Apparently, ramen wasn't a staple food here in Lightning Country. These people were crazy. And now, this idiot of a waiter was refusing him one of the few things in life that actually mattered! How dare he? "What did you say? I think I might have misheard you."

"Err, uh, we don't have ramen on the menu, s-sir." Another spike of chakra served to force the poor boy to back away. "But, we _do_ have the ingredients to make it! A custom order, then. Will there be anything else?"

"No." Naruto puffed as he crossed his arms in annoyance. Really though, he couldn't understand the gall that these people had. Was ramen not considered a delicacy here? "That'll be fine."

The waiter merely bowed in apology and thanked the blonde for sparing his life before rushing off into the kitchen, barking grim orders at the chefs as if their lives literally depended on it. Naruto turned back to amazing view of the village, thankful that it was too early in the morning for most people to come out and about. He enjoyed the relative and lonely calm out in the streets. After spending hours on gathering intel with no luck, a brief rest was welcomed warmly. Kumogakure was truly a sight to behold, as it quite literally was the "village hidden in the clouds". The village was misty in the morning due to the altitude of the mountain that it laid it' foundations on. It wasn't misty right now, now that it was just about noon, but he was still surprised that he hadn't fallen to his doom yet. Climbing the mountains to reach Kumo was quite an arduous task. And upon entering the village, he was forced to push his body even further due to the layout of the shinobi metropolis. Kumo had more bridges than streets. The bridges connected one mountain to another. It wasn't a single mountain that the village was founded on, but it was in fact an entire _range_ of mountains, much to Naruto's displeasure. The bridges were woven between each mountain intricately and practically. A vast web of trained killers. But all the practicality in the world didn't stop the soreness from reaching his feet, as it took them quite a while to find a place to claim as their base of operations. And what better to have one than in the sketchiest, dirtiest inn in the entire village?

Despite the magnificence and architectural beauty of the village's titanic, blue-grey buildings, Kumo actually had prejudices if it's own. Not only were the citizens separated by what mountains they'd lived in, but the altitude in which people lived in also served to separate them in class as well. The more nobler a clan was, the higher their homes or family compounds would be. No doubt the altitude served to protect the noble families from their attackers from terrorists and petty criminals stupid enough to trespass their property. It wasn't much of a surprise to Naruto that the nasty inn that they used was in fact one of the buildings in the lowest point of the village. What Kumo reminded Naruto of Konoha was that ninjas lived on one side of the village, while regular townsfolk lived on the other. There were certain mountain ranges that regular villagers couldn't enter, and the same went for ninjas unless it interfered with their jobs. It was a pity how something as stupid as class prejudice reached a village as great as Kumogakure. Men, the people Naruto was now training to protect, were stupid.

Within the center of the two sides of the village stood the monolith structure of the Raikage Tower. It towered over all the buildings combined as if watching over the village like a mother hen would over her squabbling chicks. It was quite obvious that the Raikage's Tower stood on the peak of the highest mountain. The Raikage, after all, was the noblest, greatest ninja of the village. For ninjas living in Kumo, the status of Raikage was literally a race for the top. Naruto actually had to look up to take a gander at the tower. He wondered if the native citizens were exceedingly more athletic than those who lived in low-altitude villages like Konoha. Living constantly in high altitude did that to people. He and Kurou regularly spent as much time as possible in their training grounds, hoping that acclimatizing to the high altitude would do wonders to their athleticism. And it did. Naruto was quite proud at how well his taijutsu was coming along. He could now do things similar to a certain young, bushy-browed ninja back in the chunin exam. Though Naruto knew the risks of over-confidence, he couldn't help but compare himself to a Lee. After all, besides Kurou, he didn't know that much taijutsu masters out there.

On top of having great athleticism, the people of Kumo were also known to have specialized in both lightning jutsu and swordplay. Naruto's sword hand was quite decent, if he couldn't say so himself, but these people were revered in that respect. Laito had informed him that it wasn't uncommon to find quite a few sword masters out in every mountain. Naruto also suspected that they were a hardy and adaptable people, seeing how the village's conformance with the beautifully cruel mountains served to symbolise their ability to overcome even the most impossible obstacles. These people were probably one of the strongest military forces in the entire elemental nations. This knowledge served to paint Naruto a picture of who these people were. It taught him what to expect out of them, allowing some ease in terms of information gathering.

It wasn't long before the waiter returned with Naruto's bowl of ramen. The blonde's mouth watered the moment the waiter stepped outside. The playful, morning breeze helped to facilitate the scent, but didn't help Naruto settle down at all. The waiter approached Naruto hesitantly and placed the succulent bowl of miso-flavoured goodness on the table without incident.

"Your order, sir."

Naruto mentally pummelled himself. His job was to go undercover - not stand out. Scaring the townsfolk was an easy way of doing that. "Listen, man. I apologize for giving you a hard time earlier. It's just that being a travelling food critique, as young as I am, is quite hard. I assure you that despite your rather _hideous_ display of service earlier, I'm willing to start out on a new slate, and I assure you that it'll start with this masterful soup right here."

"T-thank you!" The waiter deeply bowed in appreciation and dashed back inside as soon as he felt he'd lost the boy's attention. Naruto could only shake his head as the waiter went on to tell the chef of his fake credentials. Before entering the village, Laito made it a point to come up with a cover. Naruto didn't see a reason _not_ to make a cover based on his love for food. He quickly changed his initial perception of a Hunter. His masters told him that it would be tough, but so far, a Hunter's life was sweet!

Without much further thought, Naruto returned his gaze on to the highest peak of the mountain range, which conveniently was where the Raikage's tower conformed to. Naruto's eyes couldn't leave it as the sun kissed the peak with it's enveloping love, leaving behind a sight to behold. Naruto sat there, soup in hand, admiring the beauty of the view. This was the life.

Naruto sat there for what seemed like hours until something - or rather, _someone _- caught his eyes.

* * *

"A bit early for drinking, don't you think?" Laito approached his sober brother. He was sober now, but if he didn't watch out, he'd be drunk when it mattered. And Laito wouldn't have that.

Laito sat on a crummy old bar stool beside his older brother. When his Kurou chose to inhale a bottle of some indistinct form of alcohol instead of answering back, Laito continued, "Shouldn't you be doing your job and collect information?"

"It's too early to be snooping around. I'll wait until these cavemen start coming out of their caves. _Then_ I will start grabbing some intel. Besides, it's not like Naruto's doing it either. He's probably killing time, too." The burly Hunter grunted as he stared into the obscure bottle of liquor before pouring himself another cold glass.

"Heh. You make these people sound like idiots. Like animals."

"They might as well be if all we're ever gonna do in life is protect and take care of their ignorant asses. They're even worse than cavemen. Cavemen can think for themselves. These people can't. They're like babies. Stupid little babies who need our protection."

Laito frowned when his older brother downed yet another glass. "It's our job. Why don't you take a page out of Uzumaki-san's book. He seems to _relish_ the fact that he'd be quietly serving the human race for the rest of his career."

"Don't give me that. I love my job. It's just that things would be so much more easier for us if people knew about the abnormals, or at the very least, knew how to defend against them."

"Me too," Laito sighed wearily as if he were an older man. The difficulties of their career affected them in more ways than one.

They just stayed there, silent as Kurou continued to consume the vile liquid. Laito wondered how his brother came to be so…bitter. Despite the fact that they were brothers, they were separated at childhood and each had spent most of their lives away from each other. Now, they were relatively older, joined together on Kurou's whim. It wasn't until their reunion that Laito had realized that they both had changed. Brothers becoming strangers due to what they were, what they still are. Laito's frown deepened as he wondered why his brother was here, sitting and drinking away his woes. Was he waiting for someone? Something? Or was he here just to vent out the gruesome affects of their job?

"You know," Laito murmured, after what seemed like a lifetime of stillness, "downing a cold one won't make you forget her."

After some silence, and a bittersweet pain from gulping down his sake, Kurou admitted, "I stopped trying to forget her a long time ago. I don't know if it's her ghost or her memory that's haunting me, but she won't let me forget her. So, I figured 'what the hell. I might as well drink in honour of her'."

The taller Ninomiya brother scoffed at his brother's reasoning. What a "Kurou" thing to do.

"I know. But what I meant to say was that you needed something harder than that little drink to forget about her. _Much_ harder. Barkeep! Give me a bottle of your strongest drink!"

A stout man with a hard look came by and placed a white bottle in their midst obligingly. Kurou nodded to his younger brother. "Thanks, but you don't need to do this for me."

"I'm not doing this for you, jerk. You're not the only one who's heart got ripped out because of some girl. Not everything is about you, you know."

Kurou opened the new bottle of hard liquor with ease and poured himself an unhealthy serving before having to wipe away a tear at it's strong scent. He heard the pain in his brother's voice, despite the humoured tone of it's finish. He chose not to pry, but raised up his glass instead. "I'll drink to that. Bitch."

Laito merely snorted in laughter, even as all the hurt, all the pain, had slowly crept into his mind. Into _both_ their minds.

* * *

Naruto's couldn't help but stare at the woman that had practically glided past the restaurant with the grace of a jungle cat. He couldn't believe how drawn he was to her mere presence. She was most likely a kunoichi, judging by the quietness and smoothness of her stride. Her blonde ponytail swivelled side to side as did her as did her hips, but the civilians couldn't see her due to her skill in hiding in plain sight. Her gait was accented by her tight-fitting shinobi trousers and her grey Jounin vest, of which she wore no clothes underneath. It wasn't just Naruto's shinobi instincts that had allowed him to catalogue all this information in his mind. There was just something about her that welcomed him to her at a deep, primal level. He wanted to know about her, comfort her, release her, for she looked so…alone. She walked through the crowding streets with practised ease, her presence only known to him and shinobi nearby. He wondered if it was right for such beauty to exist. She was the type of women men would wage wars for. It was then that Naruto found that he'd accidentally spilled some broth on his ashen cloak. He quickly wiped himself off with a complimentary cloth in frustration as he was distracted from the beauty of both the village and it's kunoichis. He looked back to where his eyes left her, but she was no where to be seen.

Who was she? He wondered. And why was he so drawn to her? He didn't quite know the answers, but he wanted to find out. He left his seat and headed in the direction of the lovely vixen of cloud. Naruto ignored the demands to pay for his bill by a chef, only to be shushed by the waiter, who explained to the chef that Naruto was a travelling food critique. Both men shouted in glee for an opportunity that wouldn't happen.

After crossing the crowding street, Naruto approached an alleyway near the place where he'd last seen the mysterious woman. It was hidden in the shadows created by the towering buildings. It wasn't until he was fully enveloped in darkness of the alley that Naruto heard voices. Threatening voices. A commotion was clearly happening.

Naruto's pace quickened as he reached a dumpster and settled there to hide. He made sure to completely cloak his presence as well as his chakra. He spotted a group of men, who'd all adorned chunin vests. They each had a hand on their holstered weapons, no doubt itching to use them. And in the middle of the group stood the woman, who eyed each and every one of the offenders with a prideful, but wary glance. Naruto wondered how these chunin had the gall to threaten someone of higher rank, and in the same village too. He wanted to act, but he chose to observe for now. He had no reason to interfere with the pettiness of Man.

"I'm not gonna repeat myself, demon whore," one of the men spat, "take off your vest and show us the goods. I bet you we're just waiting to get fucked with the slutty way you dress."

The other men surrounding her merely laughed in turn, waiting for a peepshow to happen.

The woman allowed a smile to grace her luscious lips, "Why would I do that? You're all just chunin. I only entertain _real_ men. Men like Darui and Bee. You all are just small fry, nothing worth mentioning."

Despite her unlady-like musings, Naruto couldn't help but shiver at the sultriness of her voice. The other men didn't have the same reaction. They'd each had drawn out their weapons at the attack to their ranks. Some had even begun collecting their chakra.

Not now, Naruto thought. Turn away. She can handle herself. This is not your fight.

"You'll pay for that, you wretch!" A different man snarled. "You'll regret ever insulting us!"

"It's not a smart idea playing with the big kids," The woman clenched her fist, and unfurled it to reveal jagged claws. She closed her defiant, brown eyes and let out a low growl. Naruto felt her bloodlust in the air. She opened her eyes, her pupils now dilated as if she were an animal, a demon. A tailed demon. No wonder Naruto had been drawn to her before. She was what he used to be - a cursed human. Once again his instincts had proved him useful. "If you meatheads don't stand down, I'll be forced to kill you.

"Please don't stand down," she continued under her breathe as she unwound her long blonde hair from it's ponytail. Her voluptuous hair unwound with a bounce, billowing like a flag at the terrifying force of the chakra she let out.

The men didn't care about having a good time anymore, for they each had begun their assault. A man to her left launched a lightning jutsu from his hands, letting it crash towards her. She merely lifted a hand at the jutsu and absorbed the energy with her kunai and redirected it back at him. He was launched in the air in seconds. She followed through with her counter by leaping into the air and kicking him into the ground, creating a crater in the middle of the alley. Another man sliced at her with his flame-imbued sword. She dodged a wave of flame that had been exhumed from the fiery blade, and then the blade itself. She whipped a kunai at the man's chest. The impact wasn't much, and the penetration wasn't even that deep due to his armour. He was just about to laugh when he found that an explosive tag was attached to it. He panicked. But a second later, an explosion of light had expelled from the note instead of fire and smoke, blinding everyone in the vicinity. Sounds of metal clashing as well as soft thuds could then be heard. Once Naruto's vision returned, he found that three more men had dropped to the ground unconscious, including the man with the kunai in his chest.

Another man exhaled and a geyser of water escaped from his mouth. A smaller man beside him infused the water with lightning chakra. The collaboration jutsu was launched at the blonde woman at such a high velocity that Naruto didn't believe the woman could dodge it. But she did. The cloud vixen bounded herself into a wall, then jumped into another wall as she kept dodging the jutsu that the two men kept readjusting to meet her graceful form. Eventually, she came close enough and unsheathed a small blade, a wakizashi no doubt, and sliced both men. Within seconds, the two screamed and fell on top of each other. Their jutsu was no more. Their pain-filled screams were not.

There were at least a half dozen men left standing. They all hesitated to attack, for there was now a layer of vile blue chakra that had engulfed the blonde's deadly form. She eyed each of the men coldly, as if she were looking straight into their souls to predict their next moves. For some reason, Naruto still found her attractive. He unsealed his weight tattoos and pulled his hood over his face in case he needed to save someone's life. At this point, he didn't quite know who to help out, the woman or the men. He wasn't to interfere with them, but he guessed that it was all right as long as he wasn't identified.

"I'll give you one more chance," the woman grinned confidently. "Stand down, or I'll kill you all out of defense. You already know that the Raikage loves me like a daughter. No matter what you do at this point, you'll die by my hand or his if you don't stand down.."

Some of the men hesitated further, but one of them stepped forward, "No way! Don't stand down! We'll be revered as heroes once this bitch is dead! We'll have most of the shinobi populace overthrow the Raikage and we'll kill him and his stupid little brother, too!"

The woman growled with unrestrained animosity. "Don't you dare threaten Bee behind his back!"

Within an instant, her blue chakra cloak became more pronounced. It took the form of a feral feline. It was evident that she'd been holding back before, and Naruto knew that she was still holding back. However, there was no sign that promised that she would go easy on them.

The men didn't relent in their attack either. All six of them surrounded the blonde woman once again, only this time each had formed a hexagon formation around her. With the Jinchuuriki's chakra growing more and more deadlier, each men had slammed their palms into the ground. An intricate set of seals had begun to surround the ground the enraged woman stood on. Naruto knew what this seal was. It was the seal of restriction. She wailed in pain as her chakra cloak had begun to deter, her power draining with each coming second. She sent waves of chakra their way, each one more powerful than the last. It grew close to knocking the men away, but they held on to their positions as if their lives depended on it. Naruto felt the waves of chakra as well. He came close to being blown away once, but he held on. He too felt each wave getting stronger and stronger, but each wave felt more strained than the last. At this rate, she'd lose all her chakra and she'd die. Naruto chose this time to act. He inhaled and coiled his body tightly like a snake ready to strike. He disappeared as soon as he exhaled. A moment later, Naruto pinned a man to a wall high up on a building with a kunai. The man was instantly knocked out at the sheer force of the shunshin. Although someone had broken the formation due to Naruto's attack, the jutsu kept taking away the blonde woman's chakra. The last five men looked around for the attacker, each one worrying if Bee, the Raikage, or some other high-ranking shinobi had decided to step in. They were wrong. This attacker was far worse.

Within another second, Naruto unsealed a single kama. The miniature scythe was hidden as well due to the shadow of the alley. He closed in on another chunin and slammed his body into a wall with a forward straight kick. Naruto sliced his arms and his legs, effectively cutting the man's tendons. The only thing that kept him standing was Naruto's firm grip. Without a moment too soon, Naruto stabbed the spike of one of his kama on the wall next to the man's neck and positioned it in a way that if he moved, his neck would be sliced. The man cried pathetically as Naruto, still shrouded in his cloak, left him. The man focused his strength in his legs as he came close to falling due to his sliced tendons. The man managed to escape using a wind jutsu to blow away the kama. However, he couldn't get up due to the pain. His shouts were ignored as the cloaked figure moved to dispatch his comrades one by one.

When everything was over, Naruto found that all the men were either unconscious or too injured to get up. Now that all the sealers were dispatched, the seal of restriction was gone as well. He looked back at the place where the mysterious woman was confined in, but found that she wasn't there.

A second later, he was pinned to the wall by her firm, outstretched hand. She smelled of flowers and rain. She growled deeply, but Naruto wasn't intimidated. He was too entranced to be intimidated. He was pinned to the shadows, so she couldn't get a good look of his face. The cloak covering his form hadn't helped either.

"Who are you?" She gave him a deadly look. Naruto also noticed that her chakra cloak was no longer present. That still didn't detract from the fact that she could kill him at any second.

"Your saviour"

"I could've handled it myself. I won't repeat myself, so answer my question!" She yelled, disrupting the groans of the men that were barely left conscious by Naruto's attack. Her supposed saviour's voice was a low baritone, but he sounded young, sounded inexperienced despite dispatching half a dozen chunin within a span of a few seconds.

"You couldn't have escaped the seal. It was the seal of restriction. It was either I help you or let them kill you and they'd follow through on their plan to kill the Raikage. What option would you have picked?"

"I'd have picked the option that didn't get me killed by the angry bitch." She let herself smile a bit before continuing her interrogation.

"But you're not going to kill me." Naruto read her like an open book. Out of the two, he was the better interrogator, and he didn't even ask her a single question. She was strong, but her body language were as unkempt as her emotions. "You would've killed me by now if you wanted to."

"That's right." She admitted. She let go of her grip on Naruto's neck and the boy merely stood there in the shadows, looking at her. "Well, at least let me look at my saviour's face."

Naruto stepped out of the shadows and revealed his cloaked form. She wasn't surprised when she saw that he was short. No one her size could have stayed in the shadows for so long. Naruto took off his cloak and revealed his face.

"What the hell?" She said to herself in surprise. She knew he was young, but not _that_ young. "You're as young as a genin! Who the hell are you?"

"That information is confidential, even to a Jounin of your status. Now, to answer your question. The reason why I saved you is to ask you a few questions. Follow me, please."

"What?" She scoffed in amusement. She then pinched Naruto's cheek, to his chagrin. He was finding this woman less and less attractive. "A kid your age can't possibly keep information so secretive he can't give me his name."

"What I said was the truth," Naruto felt undignified at her insult. He then reminded herself that his job didn't allow him dignity. He sighed, "I just need to ask you a few questions. That was the reason why I saved you."

"Liar." She ruffled his blonde hair to his great displeasure. "Just face it. You think I'm hot, don't you?"

"H-how did you know?"

"I sensed you staring at me as I was walking down the street. I'm impressed. Stealth is my specialty, and not many people can spot me, even if I'm out in the open."

"Does being impressed warrant your cooperation?" Naruto smirked at her coolly before leading her back to the restaurant.

"No, but a few bowls of ramen might." She smiled before she cooed at the young boy, "My hero!"

Naruto lead the way while she simply redid her ponytail, both ignoring the chunin as they screamed for someone to help them.

It wasn't long until they seated theirselves at the restaurant patio Naruto left earlier and ate bowls upon bowls of ramen. Naruto became more frustrated with each question that she shot down. She kept giving him vague answers as she happily went through bowls of liquid gold. He suspected that she was merely mooching off his money.

"Another round of bowls, Mr. Critic-sir?" The same waiter from before bowed in respect.

"Yes," Naruto paid him no heed and merely waved him off.

"So, you're a food critic now, my cute saviour?" She said between spoonfuls of soup.

"Long story." Naruto rubbed the bridge of his nose before continuing his questions. If he didn't promise himself not to _properly _interrogate anyone anymore, he would've had her singing like a bird by now. "Let's start this again. What is your name?"

She slurped in response.

"What. Is. Your. Name?" Stay cool, he reminded himself.

"I won't tell you until you tell me yours, saviour-kun." Despite her behaviour, her sultry voice still sent chills down his spine.

"Fine, my name is Naruto, now tell me yours." He couldn't believe himself. He made a promise to Aobi that he wouldn't reveal his identity, but this damn woman wouldn't let answer him otherwise!

"The name is Nii Yugito. See, isn't that better? It takes two to tango, you know." She made a childish sound when the waiter came back once again with their bowls.

"I don't dance," Naruto said.

"You don't have to be mean, Naruto-kun." She pouted.

"It's called doing my job."

"No, it's called mutual respect. I won't answer your questions if you won't answer mine."

"…Fine." Naruto gave. She loved ate ramen the way he did in his old life. She was just as stubborn as he was too. He even had half a mind to call in his masters to get them to interrogate her. Yes, he promised himself he wouldn't do it again, but he didn't mind it if other people did the interrogating for him. A lifestyle choice, if you will.

"Good. Now, to start, why do you want me to answer your questions?"

"It's my job-" He stopped when she gave him a hard look. He sighed once again, "A relative of mine went missing a few weeks ago as well as her two friends. I've been told that a spectre was behind it."

"Oh, you mean a ghost? Then, you're looking for the one of the three academy students that disappeared a while ago. They disappeared in Rai Bastion. It's a really spooky place. Several Jounin disappeared there decades ago, and one Jounin went missing a week ago when an entire squad was deployed to search for the kids. We suspect that a rogue nin is behind it."

"I see," Naruto whispered to himself, "can you take me to this…Rai Bastion?"

"Why? You don't actually think it's a ghost, do you?" She was given a stern look in response. "You're crazy! The ghost thing is just a legend. It's obviously just a runaway rogue nin or something - not a ghost. Why do you want to be taken there? It's dangerous, even for someone like myself."

"Why? Because it's my job."

"But aren't you related to one of the kids?"

"It's a personal job," he lied.

"Then tell me who you're related to?"

"The girl," he guessed, "I'm related to the girl."

"Little Ruuka?" She questioned. The smaller blonde nodded in return. "Fine, I'll give you that, but I won't take you there."

"Then can you at least tell me where this bastion is? I have a relative to find."

"No." She stated. "I am not leading a kid to his death, even if he's a little cutie."

Naruto blushed, not giving up. "Then at least tell me the legend behind the ghost."

"Tell me who you work for first. I still don't believe that a kid your age hunts ghosts and is trained to the point where he can defeat half a dozen armed chunin-level shinobi without a sweat."

"I can't tell you that." Naruto shook his head. "But trust me, I can handle whatever is inside the bastion. I'm older than I look. _Much_ older."

"I can't trust you," Yugito said. "And you seem to be misunderstanding something. Even if you can defeat half a dozen chunin, even if you are a cutie, even if you're treating me with ramen, I am the one in control here. Not you. If you don't tell me the truth as to who you work for, then I will have you arrested and detained until you start telling the truth."

"I'm sorry, Yugito-san, but _I_ am the one in control here." Naruto motioned underneath the table and revealed a web of seals surrounding the vixen's feet. "These seals are similar to the seals those men placed on you. They don't suck away your chakra and you'll still be able to eat your ramen, but you won't be able to walk away."

Yugito wondered how the boy found the time to trap her, but she gave the boy a sadistic smile after finishing her bowl, "You may have me trapped, kid, but you'd better take a look at yourself."

"What?" Naruto tried to find out what she was talking about until she motioned to his own feet, which were also surrounded by a set of seals similar to his. He felt sweat running down his back. "It looks like we both had the same idea. Two minds are better than one, I guess."

"Don't put yourself on my level, kid. The way I see it, you are only high-chunin level while I am a Jounin level kunoichi. You're just a mouse in my trap, kid."

"Impressive," Naruto frowned, "but I still have an ace up my sleeve."

Naruto pulled up his cloak sleeve and focused chakra onto his hand. A seal flashed brightly on his palm and he whispered into it, "Masters, I found an uncooperative source of information. I need backup immediately. I'm at _Kumo Bistro_, in the mountain south of the Kage Tower."

"Who were you speaking to?" The blonde said warily.

"_My _saviours." Naruto laughed in response.

"Great." Yugito face palmed. Whatever monsters trained this kid were probably more than enough to handle her if the boy's confidence was any indication. "_Just great_."

* * *

"This is great!" Yugito shouted gleefully when she spotted Naruto's masters who didn't wear their cloaks, their handsome features spurring a great lust deep inside the Jinchuuriki. "Naruto-kun, your masters are hotties!"

"Who the hell is she?" Kurou blurted out in annoyance. "You're interrupting my drinking time."

"My masters are also drunkards, apparently…" Naruto muttered beneath his breathe.

Laito unsealed the shackle that kept his student in his seat. "Explain the situation, Naruto-kun."

"Yes, sir." Naruto nodded before stretching. "I found this woman. Her name is Nii Yugito. She is a Jinchuuriki - I am not certain which tailed best she is, but she's pretty powerful. I followed her to ask her some questions, but I ended up helping her out of a little pickle-"

"He followed me because I'm hot." Yugito corrected, still in her seat, as she hungrily eyed the two master Hunters up and down. She let out a sultry growl that no doubt spurred all three males into thinking unclean thoughts.

"Hotness aside," Naruto coughed, "I saved her life, and she told me that she knew where my relative is, and she told me that there is a legend behind the ghost as well. But, she trapped me in the end. Well, we trapped each other, so I called you guys."

"Alright." Laito nodded, before punching his brother, who eyed the vixen as she lusted after them. Naruto couldn't help but feel a tiny pang of jealousy at the exchange of looks. If only he was older…

Laito turned to the blonde female. "Okay, Yugito-san. Tell us about the legend."

"No need to be formal with me," she purred. "Anything for hot guys like you two. But, I can't tell you the story without getting out of confinement. A cat has to stretch, you know?"

"Fine then," Laito nodded to Naruto, who hesitantly undid his seal.

But as soon as he did so, Yugito dashed to grab the boy in defense and came close to snapping his neck if Kurou hadn't shunshined behind her and pinched the side of her own. She fell in a heap after softly muttering, "Party poopers."

"What an interesting woman," Laito chuckled. "Eying us like meat one second and rushing to kill our disciple to keep her village's secrets the next."

"Woman my ass," Kurou scoffed. "She may be sexy as fuck, but no one lays a hand on my disciple."

"C'mon guys," Laito motioned. "Let's take her back to the base. We need to get information out of her as soon as possible. The missing children might still be alive."

"Damn it," Naruto groaned aloud. He'd be damned if he had to descend bridges and mountains to reach their disgusting excuse of a base again. He didn't care how beautiful Kumo's architecture was anymore, the place needed to be remodelled.

* * *

**Author's Note: Wasn't that great? Part Two should be finished in about a week's time. Of course, it can be affected due to march break with all the partying and whatnot, but I'll be trying to make my deadlines! Also, I agree with one of the Anonymous reviewers that Naruto will be fighting a Manticore. In fact, he will be doing so not too many chapters from now on, so I hope you guys enjoy that. I'd do a dragon, but that probably wouldn't happen unless it were late into this fic. Now, I will be answering some reviews/criticisms. **

**Jade: **

"Good story. So has Naruto forgotten about the Colt and the person that was observing his test did HE return it to Naruto?

The Colt is dangerous and if let it out into the world could do great damage. So was that future foreshadowing I just saw?"

**Answer:Obviously, the Colt is given back to Naruto in this chapter. And yes, it was foreshadowing that you saw!**

**Lednacek:**

"ok. it took me 5 chapters to review.

first of all, nice and original.

second. the first four chapter are crap. make no sense, your constant POV hopping and flashbacks make it impossible to keep up with the story line.

third. naruto is pathetic but that is ok.

fourth. WTF is with the weapon. a celestial being gave it to him and only him and anyone can do with it what they want? one would expect that the ultimate weapon would have some kind of failsafe to keep others from using it. Also, why should Naruto get another weapon and better than a blessed?"

**Answer: First of all, thank you for being my first REAL criticism. It drove me to fix the POV hopping problem. I'd already had a problem before with editing a year ago, but I am a much better writer now. I've actually taken the liberty of editing the past chapters seriously because I know that you guys deserve the best quality in reading, not just pure smut. And this entire chapter pretty much answered your question, I hope. Naruto isn't the only being able to use the Colt. Anyone can, which can spell disaster for him later on, if it happens. The fact that anyone can use it and the fact that some people know about it serves as a threat to Naruto's life, which makes for better story-telling than the fanfics out there that gives Naruto an ultimate weapon that makes him a total god. Naruto's talk with Genma pretty much answers your question as to why Naruto would use a blessed weapon over the Colt. If someone finds out that Naruto wields one of the most powerful weapons known to man, everything and everyone connected to Naruto would die, including the Ichirakus and his teammates. The Conclave is a cold, and unpredictable organization. They aren't pushovers either, seeing how an average Hunter like Yenma can whip Jiraiya's but easily and efficiently.**

**Criticfan:**

"hmm you should probably know that something like the council can't choose were a person would be buried. But the argument of people disgracing destroying and disrespecting Naruto's grave and maybe the ones near his can be made. just saying something like the council refused to allow someone to be buried in a certain spot annoys me to know end and seeing as you are a good author i thought i should make a mention of that. "

**Answer: Thank you for reviewing! The council you speak of is different from my council. In this fic, the council is more realistic. They can petition, pout, threaten, and do things that most corrupt people would do: use underhanded tactics that give them leverage in fields that they normally don't have access to, including the deaths of shinobi. Besides, don't you think it is more symbolic to end Naruto's ninja career in the same place that it started?**

**Notpaimon:**

"So is Naruto going to get any special powers, or is he just going to have to wing it?

If it's the latter, he's going to get destroyed. D8

Stuck with his current level of training he has no chance."

**Answer: Yes he will, but not in the same sense you think it is. The winchester brothers in Supernatural have hunted things FAR stronger than any baddy in Naruto, and they have no shinobi powers. The Naruto in this fic doesn't need uber strong powers that spells god mode to beat his foes. Besides, I think it makes for better story-telling when you have the under dog beating a goliath.**

**Unlike a certain reviewer, I'd like you guys to give me PROPER criticism. If you don't want to submit constructive criticism, then don't submit at all. It doesn't help me grow as a writer, and it only serves to litter this great community with your destructive words. But in terms of criticism, please tell me how I could have delivered better. In the beginning I tried my hand in the horror genre for the first time. Please tell me what you thought of it. P.S. I will still be taking comments as to what creatures you want to see in my fic. I am already going to use a reviewer's advice in using the manticore, so what else do you think would make for great storytelling? And, I am also keeping my poll open as to what blessed weapon(s) you want Naruto to use. So far, the scythe is in the lead. I admit that it sounds pretty cool, and I've even wrote a few battle scenarios of Naruto using it, but nothing will be final until the chapter before Naruto gets his blessed weaponry.**

**Read and Review!**


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